


Harmonious Temptations

by BonDeSoren



Category: Darkstalkers (Video Games), Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening, Street Fighter, Super Smash Brothers, 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Character Death, Character Turned Into Vampire, Corruption, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Genderbending, Heroes to Villains, Mentions of Other Super Smash Brothers Characters, Mind Manipulation, Multi, Opposites Attract, Rare Pairings, Really Need More Castlevania x Darkstalkers Crossovers, Sadism, Seduction, Self-Sacrifice, Sexual Tension, Some Humor, Torture, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:15:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21609655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BonDeSoren/pseuds/BonDeSoren
Summary: Dracula's resurrection came with unforeseen consequences as he joins forces with fellow vampire Demitri Maximoff and the demon noble Jedah Dohma in creating a realm between the human world and the demon world.Sensing this great disturbance, Morrigan Aensland ventures through this new realm for answers... and pleasure, of course. Along the way, she meets a colorful cast of characters from different lands, both new and familiar, with their own set of goals. This includes the famed Belmont family, of whom Morrigan becomes involved with, especially with the azure master vampire hunter Richter Belmont.But as the demon world slowly engulfs the human world, some will succumb to their dark side and others will lose more than just their lives in the process.
Relationships: Bayonetta (Bayonetta)/Simon Belmont, Dark Pit/Lilith, Richter Belmont/Morrigan Aensland
Comments: 17
Kudos: 21





	1. Rendezvous of Vengeance

Eons ago, two realms came into existence: Heaven and Earth.

Heaven, also known as Paradiso in earlier records or Skyworld in later records, was the home of the gods and goddesses, benevolent and omnipotent beings whose powers, at the time, were unmatched. It was a holy land said to be entrenched with pure bliss and rewards for only the purest and noble.

Then there was Eden or Earth for more modern context, the home of man and other mortal beings. A curious race, humans were nowhere near as powerful as the gods and their world was one of beauty and danger. To the gods, the human realm was indeed fragile and without their guidance, the world would plunge into disarray very quickly. Seeing this as their duty, the gods would care fondly for the humans and become their protectors and providers while the humans, in return, would idolize the gods as lords and saviors.

Peace and harmony lasted for a long time until a select few would challenge the will of the gods, believing that they were unfit to rule over the humans. Angered, the gods condemned these individuals and cast them out of both heaven and the human world.

From this, a third world was created. This unholy land was known by many other names: Makai, Inferno, Hell, but it is commonly referred to as the dark world, the antithesis of both the Heavens and Earth. A world thought to be composed of a severed portion of a fallen god’s body, a portion which holds the souls of the damned. Demons, reapers, werewolves, vampires, and all other monsters, or "Darkstalkers" as they were called, considered the dark world their home. Even humans who had turned their backs on the gods were welcomed, at least that was how it used to be before the three-hundred-year war. Three-hundred years of infighting between the dark nobles over the current state of affairs caused a divide between the Darkstalkers, causing many to leave in droves for the human world, but the humans would never accept the Darkstalkers for what they were and many hunters swore to eliminate these creatures.

No matter where they would go, no matter who they'd come across, the Darkstalkers would forever end up fighting for their right to live their lives. It's a cycle of cruelty, really, but such is the fate of the damned. 

* * *

**-ONE HUNDRED YEARS LATER-**

The bats flew off into the night as the silhouette of a menacing castle appeared behind the brilliant moon. The interior was as elegant as the exterior, but forboding nonetheless. It almost seemed like a farce, like a trap for anyone foolish enough to enter. Among the endless hallways, there was a room that seemingly looked normal at first glance if it wasn't for the glossy open coffin lying in plain sight.

Within the black coffin laid the slain king of the night, Count Dracula Tepes.

In all his sinister glory, the count laid there as if he were sleeping rather then dead. Well, he was a vampire, after all, the most feared vampire of them all, even in his apparent old age. He was immortal: it would take more than a few lashings to kill him, but that did not mean he was impervious to everything. But finally, the count's eyes fluttered open. Finally, after a millennium of slumber, Dracula was resurrected once more. His crimson eyes shined brightly, suddenly full of life like the rest of his upper body as he rose from the coffin, yet the Count felt somewhat... odd.

“This castle…” the Count breathed.

This castle was not his own. The aesthetics may have been similar, but the overall feel of the castle walls felt so foreign to him. Even the coffin he slept in was not his.

“So, you have finally awoken, Lord Tepes?”

Dracula’s attention turned to a large figure facing a large window with his blue cape covering him, though his muscular stature still could be seen. His most prominent feature though was the bizarre shape of his hair. Dracula recognized that voice (and hairstyle) from anywhere. He knew _exactly who_ that was.

“And I suppose you expect me to show gratitude for such a kind act, Lord Maximoff.”

Demitri Maximoff smiled, showing off his fangs, “Had it been anyone else, I would have left them to die or I’d finish them off myself.”

“I should count myself lucky then,” Dracula sarcastically replied as he struggled to get up from the coffin, a sure sign that he was still weakened from the final battle. 

Usually, Demitri would mock those who show any sign of weakness, but he respected Dracula since he was, in fact, his superior. Actually, Dracula was the only person Demitri had ever shown any amount of respect because they shared the same negative sentiments towards humans, despite Dracula formerly being a human himself.

“How long have I been asleep?” Dracula asked.

“Exactly a hundred years,” Demitri replied.

Dracula sighed. Typical. Every one hundred years he would wake up once more with the same goal in mind every time, only to be stopped by those damn Belmonts and their allies. Such a thorn in his side, they were. Even his own son Alucard turned against him to defend humanity, which perhaps hurt the vampire lord the most. When will there come a time where he would reign victorious? But, Dracula was grateful to at least have one ally he could rely on.

"But in all due seriousness," Dracula said, "I thank you, Lord Maximoff."

Demitri never turned his gaze back to Dracula, "Give your thanks to The Grim Reaper and your pathetic zealot. The Reaper had looked far and wide for your corpse and begged me to keep you in my castle until your awakening. Your followers had also been sacrificing fair maidens left and right for you."

Dracula's right-hand Death and his dark follower Shaft. Knowing them, they wouldn't dare leave their vampire lord to die permanently. He would have to thank them whenever he had the chance, but for now, Dracula had to rest.

“When you have regained your strength, we shall depart,” Demitri concluded as he left the room.

* * *

The two vampire nobles flew off into the eternal night. Dracula had to admit, he had missed the demon world for some time. The shine of the moon and eerie atmosphere were a comfort to him. It was like a second home to him and he was treated like a regal king in some regard, although he hated being called a Darkstalker. But alas, those were memories of the past and the Demon War's aftermath had left a bad taste in the mouths of lesser night creatures when the nobles were mentioned. However, they flew above a barren wasteland with barely any inhabitants in sight.

“I’ve noticed that you’ve been living in the outskirts of Makai,” Dracula said, “Why is that?”

The tone in his voice was condescending and Demitri knew that. He refused to answer Dracula’s question but knowing Demitri, Dracula could already discern what had happened.

“You challenged Belial Aensland, didn’t you?” Dracula asked, “And lost?”

Demitri remained quiet. He wished not to remember his humiliating defeat and exile.

“I warned you before,” Dracula shook his head, “Belial is far too powerful for you to take on. If I, Count Dracula, cannot take on the Demon Noble, what makes you think you can?”

Demitri grumbled in response, turning his head away, “He had grown soft and it was about time for a new age to come forth. And I intend to be its ruler.”

“There’s an expression that the humans use… Ah, yes. ‘Pride goes before the fall,’” Dracula sarcastically replied, earning a sneer from Demitri. Oh, how he hated it when Dracula quoted the humans. As if their opinions ever mattered.

“However,” Demitri continued, “he is no longer a threat. His daughter, though, is as she has ascended his throne, but she is unfit to rule.”

Dracula then remembered that Belial had adopted a daughter some time ago before his death. A young S-Class succubus of a very rare breed, if his memory served him right. This was around the same time Alucard was born, too. Dracula had never thought of Belial to consider adoption as an option but considering the need for an heir, Dracula could definitely understand Belial's situation. 

Dracula raised an eyebrow, then sighed, “This is why I left. I have no interest in the petty infighting between the nobility.”

“And yet you declared war on the humans over the death of your human wife,” Demitri spat back.

Dracula’s eyes flashed red as he grit his teeth, showing his fangs, “Hold your tongue, Maximoff.”

“Humans are just cattle for us. Always has been and always will be,” Demitri said, “You should know this better than anyone.”

“Enough,” Dracula replied bitterly, “You told me that my castle was somewhere around here, is it not?”

Demitri pointed downward towards the land. Below them were the remains of a massive castle in a crater. Castlevania, the infamous impregnable magic fortress, was in ruins. Many of the castle’s architecture was in great disrepair, from the broken windows to the crumbled flooring and the cracked walls, it was truly a shell of its former unholy glory. Its inhabitants have either all left or were killed within the castle after that fated clash between Dracula and the Belmonts.

“My servants salvaged whatever they could,” Demitri said flatly.

Dracula said nothing in response and made his way into his fallen castle. The inside was just as disheveled as the outside, perhaps even worse. What was once an elegant foyer was now reduced to an abandoned hall. The further he ventured through his castle, the more decrepit it became. Dead corpses littered the hallways, corpses of his former servants, slain mercilessly by the Belmonts. The body count remained endless until he had reached his decimated throne room, the same room where he was slain.

"So this was where you were vanqui—"

Dracula slammed his fist against his throne before Demitri could finish, making an obvious dent in it. He had no words. The anger and hatred boiling up from long ago came back in the form of raw power as memories of his most recent defeat resurfaced once more.

_He would kill them, every single one of them. He'd make them all suffer for what they had done to him. Their agonizing pain will be music to his ears..._

“I knew I’d find you both sulking about here,” a voice called from the end of the grand hallway.

Both vampires turned around only to be greeted by a man _—_ no, demon _—_ of pale skin and purple garb, dripping blood from his coattails. His most prominent feature was his large bat wings protruding from his head, smiling at them, "And here I thought I were the only one parading through this labyrinth."

Demitri's face scrunched up in disgust, clenching his fist at the sound of the voice, “Jedah…”

Jedah? One of the three Noble Demon Lords? Dracula was taken aback by Jedah's unexpected visit, but also cautious. Like Demitri, he did not trust Jedah.

"Honestly Lord Tepes, I'd expect you to at least do some housecleaning while you have guests over," Jedah smirked as he floated towards them, "And Lord Maximoff! It's been how long? A century since we've last met? How is your eternal banishment coming along?"

Demitri growled at the demon in response, while Dracula remained indignant.

"And what brings you to my abode, Lord Dohma?" Dracula asked, "Have you come to mock me in my own home?"

"Yes, but actually no," Jedah replied, "I'm here for business, you see. I do believe that we share a common goal, and I can help you achieve those goals.”

Demitri laughed mockingly, "Hah! Do you honestly think that I'd work with you?"

"Ah, like I'd want to work with a lesser vampire such as yourself," Jedah replied, still smiling. The sass in his voice was telling.

_"Why you—"_

"I will humbly decline," Dracula interrupted Demitri, "Your intentions do not line up with mine, Demon."

"Oh, are you sure about that, Vampire?" Jedah asked, "Don't you wish to 'cleanse' the human world of its filth?"

The Count remained silent, but he would continue to listen. Meanwhile, Demitri was increasingly irritated as the two other nobles ignored him.

"I, myself, intend to 'cleanse' all souls as well. All this infighting has grown tiresome and I pity the other nobles. I do not want to see another war break out, so I have made up my mind," and with a snap of his fingers, the castle walls shook and all three nobles were transported elsewhere along with Dracula's castle. In an instant, the castle appeared somewhere else. The sky and its clouds were purple and the moon turned into a shade of crimson while the rivers flowed red. It looked like the dark world to an extent but much, much more sinister. interestingly enough, there were some human architecture as well from different time periods suspended in the air. The sounds of tormented souls filled the air as their mangled bodies were scattered around the place. While the two vampires looked out the window in awe, Jedah simply smiled.

"Behold," Jedah said while bowing.

The two vampires peered outside the window further and were shocked when they were met with a giant demonic fetus in the distance laying on its side, unaware of their presence. Both Dracula and Demitri reeled back in horror and disgust. Even they couldn't stomach what was before them.

 _"What in the Nine Hells...!?"_ Dracula exclaimed.

"What is this abomination?!" Demitri bellowed, "Explain yourself, Demon!!"

"My greatest creation," Jedah answered, his hands outstretched from his sides, "The rebirth of a new realm! The Majigen!!"

A maniacal laugh followed from the demon noble. The two vampires stared back at him in disbelief but no, he was serious. This mad bastard actually created his own realm or at least the start of one. He would've had to sacrifice thousands _—_ no, hundreds of thousands of souls, both demon and human, to create this monstrosity and the world around it.

"Imagine... a realm where life can start anew... Great sacrifices had to be made, including my dear friend Ozomu," Jedah paused for a moment, "but it is still incomplete. Breaking the gate between the human world and our world was the first step. Now I must gather more souls, more powerful souls in preparation for the next step. And that, my friends, is where you come in."

"You wish for us to be your lackeys?! I will never lower myself to _—"_

"Lord Maximoff," Jedah interrupted, "You wish to kill the Aensland succubus and usurp her throne, yes? And The Belmont Clan, Lord Tepes? You wish to see them dead as well?"

Demitri had stopped in his tracks. Jedah wasn't wrong. As much as Demitri hated Jedah, he despised that succubus even more and he wasn't in the best position to challenge her. As for Dracula, Jedah's plan was complete insanity, but he killed off a significant portion of humans in one fell swoop, a task that would take Dracula years to do. There was no doubt Jedah was powerful and his aid could finally allow him to kill off all of humanity, including the Belmonts. The plan was simple: gather the strongest souls in the realms and sacrifice them all to Jedah's "baby" to finish the completion of his new realm. Jedah would have his new world, while Dracula and Demitri could finally rid themselves of their enemies.

“I will not fail again," Dracula said in a sinister tone, "I just might take you up on your offer, Lord Dohma."

Demitri gave Dracula a look of shock while Jedah chuckled.

"I'm glad you could see things my way," Jedah replied.

Now both turned their attention to Demitri who scoffed in self-defeat.

"I suppose you have my support... for now."

Jedah clapped his hands, "Wonderful! Very wonderful... Now then, shall we discuss our plan in detail?"

"Very well," Dracula answered and with a flick of his cape he left the throne room along with Jedah and Demitri trailing behind.

And thus, the roots of a combined evil were sown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the prologue is finished!
> 
> I wanted to write a prologue mostly to get a feel of the combined lore and "The League of Super-Evil Nobles." Also, I wanted to capture Dracula, Demitri, and Jedah's characters ahead of time and how they would interact with each other.
> 
> I actually think it’s quite criminal that Castlevania and Darkstalkers don’t have any crossover stories, even though both franchises are similar in themes and atmosphere. So, I thought I’d make one with a few other Smash Bros. characters thrown in. 
> 
> Well, I do hope you enjoyed the prologue thus far! As always, constructive criticism is always welcomed!
> 
> ~Bon


	2. The Bewitching Beauty

The battle that had raged on in Makai had finally come to a conclusion. With Demitri Maximoff exiled and Jedah Dohma's disappearance, Makai could finally rest easy for the time being. More importantly, the three noble families that once ruled the demon world were now down to one ruling household: The Aensland Clan. This was a time to celebrate as the realm was finally at peace with itself, but Morrigan Aensland did quite the opposite. As the only adopted daughter of the Aensland Household, she had inherited her late father's throne, which meant she'd also inherit his political duties and royal responsibilities. To her, peace and harmony was the equivalent of absolute boredom.

"How boring..." She sighed sarcastically as she gently shook her wine glass.

She looked out towards her window at the full moon illuminating the night and sighed quietly. For days now, she had been in her room sulking around mostly. For a realm that inhabits demons, zombies, trolls, gargoyles, werewolves, and every other monstrous being under the moon, it sure was awfully boring. Sure, she had a duty to serve the Makai people as their new queen, but she knew she'd just be nothing more than just another political figurehead. From attending dull banquets to tedious roundabout meetings, her interest and excitement had diminished greatly and she was in desperate need of something stimulating; something that could light the fire she once had before.

"There's a world of action and intrigue out there," Morrigan continued, "I can't stay here unless I want to die of boredom."

Ah, the human world. Her obsession with humans was always a complicated one. They provided sustenance, yes, but during her visits, Morrigan met a plethora of interesting people from far and wide. Powerful humans with unique quirks and special abilities, even those who were much stronger than her which were actually her favorites. And ironically enough, Morrigan could actually die due to the lack of stimuli, which certainly didn't help either. Weighing her options she had a choice to fulfill her duties or go out exploring like she used to. One would think that she'd accept her fate and take on the mantle as queen, but this is Morrigan we're talking about, the conceded and hedonistic succubus. Of course, her own wants and desired triumphed in the end. Perhaps she could _—_

"Lady Morrigan!" A servant called while knocking at her door.

Morrigan groaned in response, "What now?"

"An audience is waiting for you," The servant responded.

Great. More dunderheaded nobles. It's not like she hated company. No, she was a succubus. Of course, she loved company but being surrounded by the same boring people every single day was not what she had in mind. Sigh. She couldn't shy away from her duties, at least for now. Making her way out of her room, the green-haired succubus grumbled quietly to her throne room where her guests were waiting. She just wanted to get this over as fast as possible. Discuss something about politics and get them to leave as fast as possible.

Hours later, Morrigan was back in her room leaning against the window, in mourning again. Another round of pointless chatter between ancient relics with nothing better to do but complain. Was this her life now? No more nuance? No more mischief? Just politics and being surrounded by a bunch of out-of-touch old demons?

No. This was not the life she wanted. She wanted more from life and she wouldn't let her royal duties drag her down. So in direct defiance, she would abandon her duties once more to seek satisfaction and pleasure in the human world.

But Morrigan had to make her move and fast. She took a moment to stretch her wings as she stood up. Her wings ready, Morrigan flew out her window with great speed. She didn't care where she was going because at this point, anywhere was better than here. Who knows? She might meet a few familiar faces along the way too. Perhaps she'll find a human settlement first. She was rather starved right now. 

"I'll only be gone for a while. I doubt anyone will notice," she giggled as she flew off into the night.

* * *

_"... You are the ocean's gray waves..."_

_"..."_

_"... Destined to seek, life beyond the shores just out of reach..."_

_"... Azura..."_

_"... Yet the waters never change, flowing like... time..."_

_"Azura...!!"_

_"... The... path is yours to... climb..."_

_"AZURA!!"_

Corrin gasped in fear as her eyes shot open. Her hand reached out towards the red moon as if she were reaching for something or someone and a cold sweat ran down her cheeks.

"... A dream?" She asked herself, pulling her hand back and rising from the ground.

_My family was gone._

_Drowning._

_Azura fading away into nothingness._

_Drowning._

_Alone, with no one else to turn to._

Corrin shook her head. She wished not to remember the details.

"Where am I?"

Corrin looked around her surroundings. Nothing more than dead trees from beyond what the eye could see under a purple sky. Was she in Nohr? But how? Though her memories were a bit hazy, the last thing she was certain of was that she was in the middle of a war. Her family members from both sides fighting one another, fighting for her. Her elder brothers outstretching their hands to her and her other siblings watching, prompting her to make a difficult choice: Nohr or Hoshido?

Was that all a dream too?

"Ugh..." Corrin groaned, placing a hand over her forehead. Her head was on fire, but she didn't know why. Everything was all a blur, and the next thing she knew, she awoke in the middle of an eerie dead forest. Only a few feet away from her was her sword, Yato, and her dragonstone, slightly chipped but still in good condition. Good, at least she was armed. Heaven knows what could've happened if she wasn't.

"I don't know where I am or how I got here, but I will find my siblings and make things right," Corrin decided.

The faithful princess, although lost and confused, kept pressing onward. She would find a way out, regardless of the obstacle. Corrin would return to her family in hopes of reuniting with them and finding common ground with all of them. She wanted peace and she wanted it more than anything else. But little did Corrin know that she was being watched. From above, Morrigan watched the young princess wander her way through the desolate woods, perplexed and excited.

The succubus licked her lips, "And who's this cute little thing?"

After indulging in her hedonistic tendencies, Morrigan was about to make her way back to her castle until she had sensed a sudden shift. It was a strong force of energy, unlike anything she's ever felt. It was like a clash of opposing forces fighting for dominance and she couldn't resist such power. She sensed a great power nearby, several actually, so she had to track down at least one of them. Corrin just happened to be nearby and her scent...

Oh! How invigorating this girl was! Her scent was as refreshing as the ocean, so serene, yet wild. Underneath that purity was a darkness lurking within her, just itching to claw its way out. Her naivety was so tempting to the succubus. Her previous victims were nothing compared to this one and although she leaned towards men, Morrigan wouldn't discriminate. Women were just as delicious, especially innocent young girls.

She wanted to corrupt her, to strip her of all her morals. She wanted to break her, both in mind and body. There was no time to waste. Her prey was ripe and ready to be taken.

"How adorable..."

Startled, Corrin turned around quickly with her blade ready to be met with the winged green-haired woman descending from midair sitting on a swarm of bats with her legs crossed. At first glance, the woman's looks reminded Corrin of her sister Camilla. They even had similar body types.

"Th-Thank you...?" Corrin stammered.

Morrigan giggled. This girl was definitely a catch, "You seem lost, little miss."

"Well, you could say that," Corrin replied, lowering her weapon a bit.

Morrigan's lips curved into a devilish grin, "I might be able to help you."

Corrin naively smiled back. Despite her appearance, the woman didn't seem to be a threat to her. She lowered her guard a bit more, "Oh, I'd appreciate that. Thank yo—"

Immediately, Corrin jumped back when a large sharp tendril quickly dug its way up from the ground. Had she been a second too late, it would've cut her clean in half. She took a step back and looked back at Morrigan who had her arm raised in the same direction as the tendril.

"But I'm more in the mood of helping myself," Morrigan replied in a sultry tone, "Now then, entertain me."

With a flip of her hair, her bats formed into wings on her head and back. She was ready to fight. Corrin, on the other hand, did not want to fight, but it was clear that she had no choice as Morrigan shot a ball of energy her way.

"Soul Fist!"

Quick on her feet, Corrin used the Dragon Fang and countered the projectile with a water cannonball. The two met, causing an explosion that pushed both her and Morrigan back. While Corrin regained her composure, Morrigan was fascinated by the dragon princess. Never has she fought an opponent like her before! Already the succubus was feeling a thrill of excitement, a wonderful thrill that she hadn't felt in ages!

"Ah, a feisty one!" She mused, licking her fingers, "Show me more! More!"

With a flap of her wings, Morrigan's tendrils flew towards Corrin at great speed, tearing at Corrin's armor. The dragon princess dodged, but Morrigan had done some substantial damage to her. The cuts were skin deep with blood flowing out from some. Corrin held her shoulder to stop the bleeding.

_"Why? Why does this woman want to kill me? It doesn't matter now. One wrong move and it could be the end for me...!"_

"I won't die! Not here!" Corrin declared, rushing towards Morrigan with Yato in hand, "This ends now!!"

"Just what I like to see! A burning resolve!" Morrigan cried.

Fully ensnared in her lust, Morrigan's wings turned into a jetpack and she rushed towards Corrin with full force and speed. Her arm turned into a collection of tendrils and thrust forward, aiming for Corrin's chest. In retaliation, Corrin countered the attack with her own dragon tendril. Her heels were digging into the floor, realizing how powerful this woman was. Corrin was losing ground quickly; clearly this batwoman had all the intention to kill her. With Yato in hand, Corrin cut off the tendrils, thinking that she cut off a limb in turn.

"Oh, no, no, no~" one of Morrigan's wings turned into a blade and aimed for Corrin's blindspot slashing her side as a result. Corrin shrieked as the cut was deep enough to draw blood. With Corrin distracted, Morrigan landed a swift kick to Corrin's chin, sending Corrin flying in the air. Oh, but Morrigan was far from done. She flew up, wrapped her arms around the dragon princess, and spiraled downwards towards the floor with great force. Corrin coughed up a significant amount of blood from the force of the blow. Morrigan flew back into her fighting pose.

"Oh ho ho ho ho ho!" Morrigan laughed, "Now this is what I call a good time!"

As Morrigan cackled, Corrin laid on the floor motionless. All the pain she had endured was taking a toll on her. Her entire body went numb from the loss of blood. She couldn't feel anything anymore.

_The world was turning black..._

_Drowning._

_This is it..._

_Drowning._

_... Is this how it all ends?_

_Drowning._

_Drowning._

_Dro—AAAAAAAAGH!!!_

Morrigan kept her distance in midair as Corrin was now on her knees with her hands over her head, shaking violently. A purple haze surrounded Corrin let out a shrill scream of pain and rage. Her screams were so terrifying, so painful, but yet so satisfying to Morrigan. The dragon princess's frantic wailing was music to her ears. Morrigan bit her lip in anticipation now. This was what she was looking for. Slowly, but surely, she was witnessing the mental and emotional destruction of Corrin.

"Ah, this is so much better, isn't it?" Morrigan asked with a sultry smile, "Such passion..."

Corrin wasn't paying attention, all she could hear were the sounds of her own ragged panting. Her blood ran hot and her body felt like it was on fire, like she was being boiled alive. Beads of sweat were coming off her skin and she gnashed her teeth, showing off her fangs. Her dragon tail had grown in the process as well. Even Yato had a purple aura surrounding it and her dragonstone had turned purple with a few more cracks in it than before. Corrin, or what was left of her sanity, had feared that this day would come. She had lost control again and this time, Azura wasn't here to prevent her from going berserk. If they continued fighting, Corrin feared she wouldn't be able to control herself any longer, "Please, flee!"

"Flee? But, things just got interesting!" Morrigan replied, "Show me your true form... Let it out!"

As Morrigan lunged towards her and without a second thought, Corrin transformed into her feral dragon form and unleashed a blast of water from her mouth. A violent torrent of water rushed towards Morrigan, to which she barely dodged, but only her shoulder was grazed in the process. But Corrin didn't stop. She bucked and kicked as she continued to blast her attack everywhere including the trees, the sky, and the ground, causing massive damage. 

"Perhaps this was a bit more than I had anticipated," Morrigan realized.

The best she could do was to fight another day and leave the girl; she could find someone else to satisfy her cravings. It wasn't her problem that this dragon girl started to go off on a frenzy. But, a part of Morrigan felt something for the now raging dragon princess. Pity, was it? The girl couldn't control herself any longer and though her draconic roars echoed pure rage in reality, she was screaming out in pain, begging for someone to end her suffering.

She sighed, "Sympathy, such a feeble emotion..."

Slowly, Morrigan lowered herself towards Corrin. She had to be careful though as Corrin started thrashing back and forth. Once Corrin stopped thrashing, Morrigan smiled devilishly as she shook her head.

"So fragile..." She said softly when she cupped Corrin's cheeks, "Like a porcelain doll..."

The succubus then placed a gentle kiss on Corrin's forehead. And almost in an instant, the feral dragon ceased her movements. She stopped wailing. She just stopped entirely. She felt unusually calm as if a sudden warm wave washed over her.

She felt... at peace.

Slowly, her draconic form returned to its human state, mostly. Her dragon tail was still there, swishing back and forth. Human once more, Corrin fell forward, her head falling into the succubus' bosom. Her shine in her eyes faded as she wrapped her arms around Morrigan's waist. Morrigan's lips curved into a smile as she gently stroked Corrin's hair, causing Corrin to wag her dragon tail in a soothing motion.

"Soon your pain will become pleasure beyond your wildest dreams..."

The inherent rage in her blood ceased and her cheeks flushed a shade of pink as Morrigan lulled her to sleep. Corrin felt strange like all her burdens were being lifted off her. The worry, the pain, the anger, all of it being washed away, but her body weakened bit by bit and her mind began to go blank. This all felt so familiar...

_Drowning._

_Is this a bitter dream?_

_Drowning._

_Or a sweet nightmare?_

_Drowning..._

A sensual smile curled across Corrin's soft lips. Pure bliss. The faithful princess was gone. She was broken, a husk of her former self.

Morrigan leaned her head to kiss the princess's head, "I'll take good care of you..."

Quickly, the succubus's eyes darted towards her side as she saw a fast object rush towards her. Morrigan dodged the attack, Corrin still in her grasp. She turned and grinned at her new assailant.

"So, have you come for business or pleasure?" The succubus asked.

Taking a step forward, he stood tall with his whip in front of him, his eyes burning with a profound sense of justice.

"Die, monster! You don't belong in this world!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been playing around with the concept of Corrin and Morrigan's relationship. They're both bisexual in a sense, I thought to add some undertones between the two of them.
> 
> I feel bad making Corrin go through all this pain, but I didn't know how else to go about bringing in Darkness Within Corrin from FE: Heroes without making her suffer a bit. At least Morrigan was able to soothe her pain.
> 
> Added the FE: Fates tag just in case. I hadn't anticipated for Corrin to play a bigger role down the line, but I'm starting to like Seduced!Corrin a lot than I lead on. I might add more tags when other characters are introduced.


	3. Dancers in the Dark

Richter Belmont had only one goal in mind: to destroy Dracula.

Death had attacked him as he made his way back to his village, which was an indication that Dracula had been resurrected again. The battle was short-lived as Death chose to flee, but not before threatening the young Belmont to turn back while he still had the chance.

But Richter was determined to defeat Dracula, such was his destiny as a member of the Belmont Clan.

Since then, he had been tracking down Death. Surely, Death's trail would lead him to Dracula's demon castle, eventually. His findings had led him down the dead forest where monsters lurked from the shadows, but as always the Belmont kept his wits about him and came prepared with his arsenal ready. Further and further, he cautiously maneuvered through the forest, until the sound of a young girl's screams could be heard, which then became monstrous roars pierced through the eerie silence of the woods along with a torpedo of water being blasted towards the sky. Odd, that voice sounded familiar and that attack... he could only think of one person capable of doing that.

And they could be in danger.

There was no time to waste. Richter ran towards the direction of the wailing with his whip, the Vampire Killer, ready in hand. He could only pray that he'd arrive on time before the worst could happen, but as the screams died down, his anxiety grew even worse.

_Was he too late?_

He ran faster. If he couldn't save them, at the very least he could avenge them. Suddenly, he had stopped in his tracks in disbelief of what he saw.

"What in the name of _—_!?" Richter exclaimed quietly. 

His assumptions were correct. It was indeed the water dragon, Princess Corrin, in the arms of a green-haired woman with bat wings protruding from her head and back. Corrin seemed unconscious in the woman's arms, smiling all the same with her cheeks flushed red. Meanwhile, the woman petted the princess's head with a devilish grin curling her lips. From that moment Richter knew what this woman was.

"A succubus...!" He said.

Whether she was a servant to Dracula or not, he wouldn't let this vamp take the princess away.

"No, not while I have anything to say about it!" His impulses got the better of him. He lashed out, sending his whip towards the woman. However, the woman was perceptive and she dodged with Corrin still in her arms. She turned towards his direction to face him, smiling back at him with that same damned smile.

"So, have you come here for business... or pleasure?" The demoness asked.

"Die, monster! You don't belong in this world!" Richter exclaimed, "Let her go!"

 _This world?_ How ignorant he was. He was unaware of what was really going on. But Morrigan couldn't blame him, he was only human after all. Of course, he couldn't sense the sudden shift between realms.

The demoness cocked her head to her side, softly laying it on Corrin's head, "And look who we have here... Quite the handsome one, aren't you?"

Morrigan took a good look at the hunter from top to bottom. Oh my, he was a fine-looking man: a young face, strong muscles, attractive blue eyes, and a well-proportioned form. He was perhaps the most attractive hunter she had ever laid her eyes on and his scent was just as tantalizing. Strong and robust, with his blood burning hot with determination. She liked what she saw and she wanted him. Every single part of him.

"I won't ask again," Richter threatened, straightening his whip, "Let her go right now."

"A kinky one, aren't you?" Morrigan asked, referring to the Vampire Killer.

For a brief moment, Richter's cheeks blushed pink when he realized what Morrigan meant. She chuckled. So inexperienced...

But Morrigan would comply with the hunter. With a slow swipe of her hand, Corrin's eyes fluttered open, but there was nothing in those eyes anymore. She seemed soulless without a thought running in her mind. The succubus gently put Corrin down on her knees. Corrin raised her head up to look at her new mistress, wanting her. She was about to say something _—_ anything _—_ but Morrigan placed a finger on Corrin's lips, shushing her.

"Now, now... I'll tend to you later," Morrigan assured her.

Corrin would obey without any question. She just stayed there with her eyes remained dazed, looking at the purple sky.

Her attention was now exclusively on Richter, placing a hand over her cheek, "I'm always up for a good fight, but I'm thinking we could do something else..."

Surely, for all the grandstanding he did, it must've been a farce. He talked a big game and certainly looked imposing, but he must've been just as fragile as all humans were. All he had to do was to look into her eyes and he'd become her slave as well, another toy for her to break. Slowly, she approached him with a gleam in her green eyes.

_"Look into my eyes..."_

_"Become mine... All mine..."_

Before she could come any closer, Richter threw a bottle of holy water toward the floor and it exploded upon impact, turning into a burst of blue flames. Morrigan jumped away quickly, appalled and repulsed by the flame.

"Your powers won't work on me, temptress!" Richter replied indignantly.

And he was right. Usually, Morrigan's male victims would lose themselves to their own lust just by looking at her alone, even the most hardened hunters would fall victim to her dark charms, but not this one. This one had an unwavering will that refused to be seduced by her voluptuous feminine form and voice. Truly he was something else entirely. She was impressed but also displeased.

Morrigan pouted, "How disappointing, I was hoping to take more than just one home tonight..."

Ah, well. She didn't want to hurt his pretty face, but he gave her no choice. Hopefully, he'll last longer and provide some entertainment as they fought. Maybe he'll comply afterward.

"Try not to stare too much," Morrigan warned playfully, getting into her fighting stance, "It's no fun that way."

Her vanity irritated Richter. This was all just a game to her, a sick and twisted game. He then looked at Corrin, who was now watching them with her hand outstretched towards the succubus. Richter closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He had to take this succubus out, for Corrin's sake.

"It's time... Time to send you back to hell, where you belong!" He yelled.

"You're so serious... It's kinda cute~!" Morrigan replied. The rank determination, the intense resentment for her was too much for her to bear. Everything that he was, she wanted all of him! She rushed towards the Belmont with great speed, but he sent his whip towards Morrigan, to which she turned away to dodge, but the spiked tip actually managed to graze her back, burning it in the process.

"Ah~!" She moaned. It was a sound of both pain and pleasure. Her skin was actually burning from the hit, actually leaving a mark on her back. Clearly, his whip was actually a sacred weapon and not just some sadistic kink he carried around. If he wasn't trying to kill her, she almost would've let him lash her with his whip even more. _Almost._

Richter was taken aback for a moment from hearing her moan, but he needed to stay focused. Of course, she'd drive pleasure off of the pain. That's what a succubus was, they get off from pain. Luckily, she hadn't noticed the two hidden knives he had. He threw them, one scraping her arm and the other her cheek. The knives managed to cut deep, drawing blood from the wounds. Morrigan flew up in response, rubbing the blood off her cheek.

"If you wanted to play rough, then you should've asked," Morrigan licked the blood off her finger, "After all, we have all night to play."

"I think you're mistaking combat for playtime," Richter replied, "and Belmonts aren't ones to play with!"

He lashed out again, attempting to hit her every single time only for her to barely dodge the attacks in the air. He managed to actually get a few hits in, causing her to moan out in both pain and pleasure even more. But, Morrigan was getting ever so annoyed because his whip would keep her away from him. He wasn't making this fun anymore. She loved the perverse way he fought, but he wanted to keep his distance and keep her in line, instead of going head to head with her. She was thinking about leaving entirely now since he wasn't willing to engage her head-on.

"I've had enough!" Morrigan declared, spreading her wings out, "Can you dodge this?"

Her wings had turned into a pair of rocket launchers and a plethora of rockets shot out from her wings, aiming straight for Richter.

"Whoa...!!" Richter exclaimed as he ran from rockets. He did not expect an attack like that. He's faced succubi before but never has he met one who was able to do summon an arsenal of explosives.

_"I have to think and think fast or else I'm toast!!"_

The rockets were catching up to him now. He couldn't outrun them now. Then he saw that he was running towards a thicket of woods. Hide in the woods? It wasn't the best idea, but he didn't have any other choice unless he wanted to be blown to bits. Without thinking further, he rolled into the thicket and the rockets destroyed everything in its wake. After a moment of destruction, Morrigan finally stopped shooting. Was he alive? Morrigan lowered herself to see if he had survived, but the smoke was too thick to see through. So, she gave it a moment.

No movement. Silence.

She then sighed and turned around, "And here I thought he was going to be a challenge... I suppose it can't be he _—"_

Almost instantly, a chain brushed out of the smoke and wrapped itself around Morrigan's arms, bounding them to their side, "Wh-What...?!"

"... Now!!" Richter then pulled Morrigan down towards the ground with great force and the succubus crashed to the floor head-first, wincing in pain.

"A-Ah...!!" She shrieked.

"You almost had me there..." Richter smirked, striding towards Morrigan with the handle of his whip in one hand and a cross in another. The thicket took most of the hits, allowing Richter to escape mostly unscathed. It was a risky bet, but it paid off in the end, "Now, time to finish this!"

Morrigan was on her knees now. She tried to escape from the chains, but the whip was tightly gripped against her body, weakening her at the same time. What could she do now? To think that she'd let a lone human best her like this. Ah, I guess it couldn't be helped. She had let her vanity get the best of her, and now it would cost her life.

But the succubus had one last trump card to play.

Richter raised his cross in the air, it's shine gleaming in the red moonlight, "Prepare to be vanquished, Succu _—"_

"Richter...!!"

"... Annette...?!"

Instead of the succubus, in her place was his beloved fiancee Annette with her long flowing hair, her soft voice, and the tears running down her shining eyes, looking up at him in fear. Richter stopped entirely, his hand shaking violently at the prospects of seeing his girlfriend tied up with his whip. A cold sweat ran down his cheek and his breath was uneven.

_"Hee hee... I see, so this is the object of your desire...."_

This was Morrigan's last resort. If anything else, she'd take on a form more pleasing to him. Morrigan just had to focus and peer into his mind, to see what he craved the most. Apparently, this "Annette" was his object of desire, his one true weakness. Now she could use this against him, to deceive him.

"Why..." Morrigan asked in Annette's voice, sobbing, "Why would you do this to me? I... I thought you loved me..."

"I... I..." Richter stumbled with his words. He couldn't believe what he was seeing or doing. He was confused. Perfect.

"Please... Free me from these chains, so we may be together... Together forever..." Morrigan commanded softly.

He didn't know what came over him, but he loosened his grip on the whip and then his cross. Once his whip's grip loosened, Morrigan stood up and walked up to Richter, still posing as Annette of course. He looked so... scared and vulnerable like he just experienced the most traumatizing experience. It was lovely to see. 

"Come, let us be together again..."

She cupped his cheeks in her hands, her lips just inches away from his. She pulled him close for a kiss. It started out slow and soft, but that was short-lived as Richter noticed something soft and fleshy creep up from behind, then something grabbed his left arm, then his right, and then his legs. Then Annette started to change. Her hair and eyes turned green, and her clothes began to change. Richter came back to his senses and realized what was happening.

This wasn't Annette.

Richter pulled away, gritting his teeth at what he's just done; meanwhile, Morrigan was licking her lips in satisfaction. She stole a kiss from him and his taste was so delicious like she had expected. She laughed, her echoes being heard through the night.

"Now that was good..." Morrigan mused.

Her duplicates disappeared once she was finished, leaving Richter wobbling. He wasn't in top condition like he was in the beginning. Her kiss had weakened him a bit. She had drained an amount of vitality out of him, but he was still able to fight.

"I'll... I'll never forgive you...!!" 

"Oh ho, as if I need you to forgive me. Besides, you liked it. Admit _—_ "

She stopped dead in her tracks as Richter whipped her straight on the side of her face. She had taken a mace to the face. She fell to the ground, realizing how painful the hit was, but Richter began to approach her. Hatred could not even begin to describe how he felt about her right now. He wanted her dead. Morrigan, actually fearful of her life, closed her eyes, expecting the Belmont to whip her again, but no. Instead, Richter had blocked a head-on attack from... _Corrin?_

"Corrin, get out of my way!" Richter demanded.

"No, Belmont," She replied coldly.

"Corrin, you're being manipulated by this succubus!" Richter cried, "Fight it! You're stronger than this!"

"My loyalty belongs to my mistress," Corrin said in a monotone voice, "And you must die."

The Belmont tried his best to snap the princess out of it, but Corrin was far too gone. Her loyalty belonged to Morrigan and as far as she knew, Richter was a threat. She couldn't just stand there and watch Morrigan suffer or worse, die.

"Corrin... I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to...!" Richter replied. Even though he wasn't at his best, he would still fight her.

As the two prepared to engage in battle, it was at this moment that Morrigan realized that these two have some history with each other. She had an inkling before that they must have known each other some other time before, but this just solidified it. Richter's reluctance to kill Corrin was obvious, he couldn't bring himself to do that. This girl must have meant something to him... a close friend, perhaps?

"Oh, you won't need to worry about that," Morrigan said to the Belmont, then turned her attention to Corrin, "Put your sword away, my dear."

Corrin looked back at Morrigan, "But, Mistress _—_!!"

"My orders are absolute. Put down your sword."

"... As you wish."

Corrin pulled her weapon away from Richter and came to Morrigan, holding her arm.

"I think it's safe to end this battle in a tie," Morrigan declared.

"What...?!" Richter asked, bewildered and angered.

"A tie. You were very satisfying and I've taken a liking to you... Richter, was it? But, unfortunately, I have more pressing matters to attend to."

"Wait! You're not going to leave just like that! And not with her!" Richter pointed at the succubus.

"Yes I will and yes, I will be taking her too," Morrigan put her hands on Corrin's shoulders, "She's better off in my care since our realms are merging. If she were to be left alone, she would've been killed or worse."

Words could not describe how much Richter hated the situation. He wanted to kill this succubus, but she was using Corrin as collateral and she was right to an extent. Knowing Corrin, she was just too naive, too trusting of others, which must have made her an easy target for Morrigan. Poor Corrin, Richter could only imagine the pain this succubus made her go through and now Corrin was just a mindless servant, loyal only to Morrigan.

"... Damn!" Richter cursed.

Morrigan smiled. Clearly she had all the bargaining chips, "You can tag along with us if you'd like."

Richter had a disgusted look on his face, "Team up with a succubus? How do I know you're not working with Dracula?"

"I'm not. I have nothing to gain from working with him," Morrigan replied, "He wants to kill all humans and I just happen to like humans, so I don't think we'll be seeing eye to eye anytime soon, I assure you."

She didn't even know Dracula had something to do with this. She honestly thought Demitri was up to no good again, but come to think of it, the idea of both of them working together wasn't too farfetched. Morrigan then felt Corrin hold her tightly, indicating who she'd rather leave with. She would rather leave with Morrigan over Richter, but Richter wouldn't blame her. She was under the succubus' spell; she felt safer with the succubus in her current state. But still, there was no way in hell Richter was going to leave Corrin with a succubus, especially one like this.

"Fine. I'm coming with you, but it's only a temporary alliance," Richter reluctantly decided.

"Ah, so you can be reasonable," Morrigan mused happily.

"But, I'm only doing this for Corrin, someone's got to keep an eye on her," Richter sent a cold glare her way, "And, just to be clear, I don't trust you and I'll be keeping an eye on you as well."

"Whether you trust me or not, we're unlikely allies now. But for now, I think we all need some rest. There's a village nearby and I think we can rest our weary heads there tonight," Morrigan said as she floated down the forest path with Corrin trailing behind her, "Oh, and if you were curious, my name is Morrigan Aensland. I do hope we can get along, Richter Belmont."

She giggled which made him wince. The fact that she already knew his name sent chills down his spine. Something was telling Richter that he may regret this, but Morrigan thought that this could be the start of something special.

And so, the three departed for the village, hoping to get some rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. This chapter had so much going on, but I'm glad it's over.
> 
> What will our trio encounter next? Only time will tell...


	4. Knowing Your Enemies

"Interesting... A very interesting turn of events."

Jedah, Dracula, and Demitri watched the chaos unfold from Dracula's shattered mirror. They had been observing the action for a while now from across the converging realm.

"A hunter and a succubus working together... And here I thought they were about to kill one another," Jedah said, "Yet this will make things run more smoothly. Killing two birds with one stone, as the humans would say."

Demitri was glad. If anyone was going to kill the succubus, it was going to be him. He turned his attention to Dracula, who seemed bothered.

"Something's troubling you," Demitri said.

"There seems to be more than one Belmont running around," Dracula said flatly, looking at another part of the mirror. Although partly obscured, there was a fight happening between a blonde-haired Belmont and a woman touting guns. Jedah looked over at the fight as well, his interest piqued.

"That woman..." Jedah took pause, scratching his chin, then he shook his head, "This won't do. She might become a problem."

But Jedah was still interested in the woman, who started to strip naked while her hair summoned the body parts of a demon. What was she? A huntress with magical powers? His attention turned to the woman again, who was able to slow down the hunter for a brief moment with some magical spell before landing a swift kick. Her existence bothered Jedah to an extent. There was just something off about her, something he just couldn't explain. She demonstrated a kind of power he has never seen before. He would keep a close eye on her and decided he should look into this a bit more.

"Why are there two Belmonts, Demon?" Dracula asked sternly.

"Hmmm... Well, of course," Jedah replied, "The Majigen exists outside the realm of time; therefore, different timelines can coexist. But that just means more souls to sacrifice."

Dracula disliked the idea of not one, but _two_ Belmonts existing in the same universe. Hell, there was a possibility that the entire Belmont family were all pulled into the Majigen all with the same goal to pursue him. That would be a nightmare, but Dracula would put his trust in Jedah for now. The fewer Belmonts there are, the better.

"My castle is still not restored to its full power. That concerns me..."

"Not to worry, your castle will be in tip-top condition by the time our sacrifices come our way," Jedah reassured, "And with my power imbued, your castle has become a death trap for those who step in. Yours too, Lord Maximoff."

"I did not ask for your help," Demitri replied.

"Oh, but you do need it. Besides, a failsafe is needed, just in case things go... awry."

While the three nobles conversed, someone was hiding within the shadows listening in, two of them actually.

"Jo _—_!!"

"...!!"

The three perked their ears and looked behind them only to see nothing in particular, yet they knew someone was there. They had already departed by the time they turned around. No matter. 

”It seems we have an intruder in our midst,” Demitri said.

”No matter,” Dracula replied, “I shall take care of them personally.”

And with that, the Count teleported out of the room. He was rather parched.

Meanwhile, something in the mirror interested Demitri. Another part of the mirror had shown three travelers, two of them male, the other a female. The female, in particular, caught the vampire's attention. She was beautiful. Although lacking curves, she made up for it with her long flowing blue hair and stoic features. He would like to make this fair maiden his and he was rather thirsty as well.

"Excuse me," Demitri said to Jedah as he too disappeared.

It was only just Jedah in the room now quietly observing through the mirror, grinning as his plan was all coming together.

“Ah, and what do we have here?” Jedah peered into the mirror more, “Another familiar face...”

* * *

The trio continued their trek down the forest path, with Morrigan leading the way. Truth be told, she was surprised that Richter was willing to work with her, albeit reluctantly. The two were bound together thanks to an entranced Princess Corrin who became a captive of Morrigan's charms. If it wasn't for Corrin, nothing would've held Richter back. He would have slain Morrigan right then and there and he would think nothing of it. The reddening wound on her face was proof of that. She touched her face, the side that Richter whipped, and winced a bit. Even now, it still hurts.

Morrigan was quite aware of Richter's cold glare towards her. He had been glaring at her this entire time with his whip ready at his side, mentally shooting venom at her but also keeping an eye out for their surroundings. Morrigan could only wonder what Richter was thinking of right now. He was probably thinking of all the ways he would kill her when the time was right or how much he despised her, which made the succubus swoon a little. Oh, she could only imagine what he was capable of doing when he was truly upset.

"It's rude to stare, you know," She teased.

"Don't test me," he spat back.

She giggled, "Someone's touchy."

He turned away in response. Meanwhile, Corrin had kept her distance away from Richter and closer towards Morrigan the entire time. She wasn't fearful of him per se, just distrusting and cautious. If he were to strike or threaten Morrigan, trust that Corrin wouldn't waste another second to pull out her sword and end him or worse turn into a dragon and finish him off. Knowing this, Richter sighed.

_"I'll free you from her control, Corrin. I promise..."_

"There. Up ahead," Corrin pointed.

The three had finally made to the empty village. There wasn't a sign of a villager in sight and all the houses were abandoned. Understandable, considering the monsters lurking about. The people must've fled to the next town over and apparently some didn't make it. Signs of blood trails and a heavy smell of iron reeked across the village. Corrin covered her nose in disgust as the smell of blood was too much for her to bear while Richter knelt down and dipped two fingers into a small puddle of blood, examining it.

"It's fresh..." Richter said, "yet there aren't any bodies..."

"Oh my, it looks like we just missed the massacre," Morrigan sighed.

”Massacre?” He asked.

Before Morrigan could explain, Corrin started to lose her balance, but she used her sword as a crutch. She grimaced, holding her hip as if she were in pain.

"She's bleeding out...!" Richter exclaimed.

Corrin's side started to bleed out, staining her clothes. When Morrigan saw the wound, she remembered that it was the same wound she made when she and Corrin fought each other earlier. It seemed the wound did not heal and it was only now that Corrin noticed that she was in pain. Then again, Morrigan remembered that those under her spell have a high tolerance to pain, but that could only last so long. Corrin needed medical attention now and fast.

"Cloth...! I need some cloth," Richter said as he carried Corrin and ran into one of the houses to find some.

"No...! No! Let me go!" Corrin protested, kicking and squirming in Richter's arms.

Meanwhile, a worried Morrigan followed from behind. They took refuge in an empty house where Richter attempted to dressed Corrin's wounds accordingly, but the dragon princess resisted him and nearly impaled him with her dragon tendril twice.

"Corrin, I'm trying to help you!" Richter said.

But Corrin continued to resist. She didn't want Richter anywhere near her, ”Don’t touch me!”

Her resistance became more violent. Both Corrin and Richter went back and forth, neither one willing to compromise. Morrigan smiled a bit. It was fun watching these two fight, but then sighed and shook her head.

"Excuse me," Morrigan then came forward, slightly pushing Richter to the side, "Allow me."

She came to Corrin’s side, placing a hand over her cheek. Corrin quickly wrapped her arms around the succubus and gently kissed Morrigan's cheek in response. Morrigan could actually get used to this. When this was all over, she'll take Corrin home and turn her into her personal plaything.

”I’m here now,” Morrigan assured softly, “The bad hunter won’t hurt you. I promise.”

Richter felt nauseated when Corrin kissed the succubus’s cheek. It was so off-putting to him; meanwhile, Morrigan laid the dragon princess on the bed, stroking her hair. Corrin was at ease again but began to feel somewhat sleepy. 

"I... I just want..." Corrin started, a tear streaming down her cheek. She felt like she was forgetting something, something very, very important to her. Yet, she didn't know what it was. Before she could finish her sentence, she closed her eyes and soundly fell asleep.

"You can help her now," She said, looking back at Richter.

Richter ignored her and knelt down, dressing Corrin's wound, "There. This should stop the bleeding for now."

There Corrin lay sleeping and both Richter and Morrigan said nothing to each other. It was a brief moment of awkward silence until Richter finally stood up and turned towards Morrigan with a stone-cold expression.

"We need to talk," was all he had to say.

"Here to interrogate me already? Or, do you need some company tonight?" She asked playfully.

He walked out of Corrin's room towards the living room without another word and she followed suit. Morrigan watched as Richter started a fire within the fireplace. Afterward, he seated himself in a chair and placed his whip on the table, subtly threating her.

"Now, now. Calm down," Morrigan said, "Let's not skip the foreplay."

"Earlier, you said something about our realms merging," Richter started, ignoring her previous comment.

"Hmmm... Ah yes. I did, didn't I?" She teased, testing Richter's patience.

"No games, succubus. I want answers."

"I'm just as confused as you are, good hunter. But, yes. Our worlds are coming together and I think I know who could be behind all of this."

"Dracula?" Richter's eyes sparked, "Could he be behind this?"

Morrigan giggled. Richter's sudden reaction was that of a child. He was so quick to jump to conclusions, thinking that Dracula was the source of the problem. His whip combined with his obsession with Count Dracula gave it away. He really was a Belmont, through and through. The name Belmont alone was enough to strike fear into the hearts of the creatures of the night. Almost all the Darkstalkers feared them, including the nobility, but not Morrigan. Rather, she was excited to meet a Belmont in person and apparently he was everything she'd imagine one to be: fearless, muscular, and handsome. 

She cocked her head to the side, "Perhaps... But knowing him, The Count wouldn't be able to do this alone."

"Hmmm..." While Richter pondered about who else could be involved, Morrigan floated over to him.

"But, I think you need to rest tonight," Morrigan insisted, now floating around him, "You're straining yourself too hard. Maybe I can help y _—"_

"No," Richter replied, moving away.

"You really don't trust me, do you?" She asked. She was behind him now, her hands moving across his chest. She could sense his heartbeat racing faster.

"Oh, you just realized that now?" He asked sarcastically, not looking back at her. His expression was still stoic.

She leaned her head against his neck. Her lips were close to his ear as she whispered, "Aw, don't be like that. We're working together now. The least we can do is to get to know each other."

"Stop this," Richter picked up his whip, "Keep your distance."

"Such a killjoy," Morrigan replied softly, "The fire's roaring and the girl's fast asleep. It'll be a night you'll never forget..."

Richter pulled himself away from her abruptly and left for Corrin's room. Morrigan pouted in response. He was so quick to kill the mood and nothing she said seemed to get him aroused. Although Morrigan was slightly annoyed that he wasn't aroused by her advances, she did love a man who didn't give chase. It made the relationship all the more interesting. Still, she wanted to at least lay with him for the night. She wouldn't even mind if they were still clothed.

_"This will be a lot harder than I thought..."_

But then Morrigan thought that maybe she was in the wrong. Maybe he was still mad at her for impersonating his girlfriend and tricking him into kissing her. Maybe. But, even if she did apologize to him, he’d still resent her.

_“Well, fine. Let him be that way. It's his loss.”_

To be fair, she had to save herself somehow and he's getting upset over that? Morrigan will never understand the pettiness humans have for such things. Well, it didn't matter now. Richter may be a Belmont, but as an Aensland succubus, Morrigan always get what she wants. She’ll have her way with him soon and she couldn’t wait to steal him away. But for now, she too needed to get some rest.

Hours into the eternal night and it remained quiet in the empty village, eerily quiet. Absolutely silent, which bothered Richter to no end when he woke up. He checked Corrin’s wound and by the look of things, it was healing and she was still sleeping soundly since.

“Great. It looks like she’s okay for now,” he beamed.

He let out a sigh of relief before slumping back towards the wall, now thinking about what Morrigan had said earlier about a massacre.

“There’s blood, but no bodies in sight,” Richter said quietly, rubbing his chin, “Could it be an unholy ritual gone horribly wrong?”

It was the only explanation he could think of, but something seemed off about all of this. Like Morrigan had said, their worlds were colliding so something else could be at play. Also, after taking refuge, he felt like they were being watched, like all of this was some sort a trap. Richter couldn’t shake this feeling any more, so he went out to do some solo investigating, but not before coating Corrin’s door with holy water, just in case that succubus was going to try anything while he was gone. After looking around the village, Richter stopped and knelt down, noticing something.

“Footprints... And they’re fresh,” he said.

He looked towards the direction of the footprints going forward, then a second set going the opposite way. Someone‘s been pacing around. Richter got into a fighting stance now. Whoever they were, they were nearby, ready to strike.  
  
“Fresh... Blood...”

“Who’s there?!” Richter demanded, pulling out his whip, “Show yourself!”

Richter had turned to the direction of the voice, who was wandering out of the misty shadows aimlessly, grunting with his head down and holding his arm in pain. A dark red aura surrounded his body and his black gi was ripped and bloodied, exposing his chest which had a burned gaping hole at its center. Even though his appearance was slightly different, Richter knew who this was.

”Ryu...?”

Ryu’s head immediately shot up upon hearing his name, but his eyes were red and glowing with murderous intent.

”The ones who call my name are the voices... of the dead!!”

His voice sounded more demonic in nature. Without warning, Ryu charged a powerful red Hadoken towards Richter with Richter barely dodging that attack. From that moment, Richter realized that this wasn’t the Ryu he remembered.

”Ryu!! What’s happened to you?!” Richter asked.

But Ryu let out a shrill battle cry and rushed towards the Belmont in a mad rage. Thinking quickly, Richter countered Ryu’s fist with his whip, but this only angered the fighter.

“It’s me, Richter! Richter Belmont!!”

”Using a weapon instead of your fists?! You _deserve_ a fate worse than death!!” Ryu bellowed, “May your blood crust my fists!!”

It was no use. No matter how much he tried to get through, Richter knew his efforts were in vain. He had to fight for his life now since Ryu wants to take it from him.

_“Just like Smash all over again, huh?”_

Richter kicked Ryu away, creating enough distance between the two of them. He then used his whip and wrapped the end around Ryu’s hands, tying them together.

”Ryu, I dont want to do this, but you leave me no choice!” Richter said throwing an ax at Ryu. However, Ryu dodged out of the way and yanked the whip forward, pulling Richter in the process with great speed and strength. Once in range, Ryu struck Richter in the head with his fists, sending the hunter to the ground hard. 

“Gah...!!” Richter choked, blood seeping from his mouth and head. The force of the blow stunned him. Richter knew Ryu was powerful, but this was something else. This wasn’t the kind of power he was used to seeing from Ryu. Ryu’s power was too strong, almost demonic.

Ryu was far from done. Freeing himself from Richter’s whip, he then grabbed the injured Belmont off the floor by the throat, slowly squeezing the life out of him.

“Pathetic fool!!” Ryu bellowed, reeling his arm back, “This place shall be your grave!!”

Richter tried to escape, but Ryu’s grasp was far too strong. He felt the air leaving his body. His body went limp and everything around him went black, sans Ryu and the massive red aura coming from his hand.

_”Ah... Ryu...”_

”Soul Fist!!”

”Hadoken!!”

Two energetic forces collided and exploded upon impact. Ryu threw Richter to the direction of the attack, only to be caught by none other than Morrigan. The succubus then quickly flew away from Ryu, keeping some distance.

Morrigan blew a kiss at Richter, “Are you alright, Belmont?”

Richter caught his breath, “I am now.”

She sighed, “Honestly, we rest for a few hours and you’re already getting yourself into trouble, Belm—“

”Look out!!”

“Messatu!!”

Richter pulled Morrigan out of way from Ryu’s attack, sending both of them tumbling towards the ground.

”Ah!”

”Gah!”

Once they fell to the floor, Richter groaned from the pain, but he fell on top of something soft and warm.

”Huh...?”

Oh?

Oh!

_Oh._

He pulled away and he came face to face with Morrigan’s endowed chest. It didn’t take Richter a second to realize that he had fallen face first between her breasts, not to mention that he was on top of her. The moment the two made eye contact, they both blushed harshly and Richter was quick to get off of her.

Morrigan covered her cheeks, “Bel—“

”Not another word,” he interrupted, looking away, “That didn’t happen.”

There was so much she wanted to say, but there was no time for frivolity. Ryu was already in the air charging up another Hadoken. Both Morrigan and Richter dodged the attack. As they both recovered, Morrigan couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Ah, so his power has finally consumed him,” she mused, “Took him long enough.”

This wasn’t their first encounter and she knew it wasn’t going to be their last. She had a strong sense that she’d meet a familiar face again and of course it had to be Ryu. An aura that strong, though corrupted, could only come from someone like him.

”You can sit this one out, Belmont. Ryu and I have a little bit of... catching up to do,” Morrigan decided, signaling Richter to leave.

”No way! This is my fight too, Succubus!” Richter protested.

She sighed. Why does she even bother with him?

”Very well. Here,” She tossed his whip his way.

Richter caught it, “Uh...”

”You’re welcome,” she replied, looking back at Ryu, “Now then. Shall we?”

With a flick of his wrist, he cracked the whip on the floor, straightening it. Richter couldn’t believe that he was forced to fight Ryu alongside a succubus, but did he have a choice? Two was better than one and Ryu was determined to kill both of them. There was no other option.

He was ready for battle. He took a step forward beside Morrigan, his sights set on Ryu as well, “After you.”

“Two against one? Doesn’t matter. The outcome will be the same. I’ll bathe in your blood,” Ryu got into a fighting stance, stomping his foot, ”Now come and face your doom!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Finished!
> 
> Evil Ryu is here to kill everybody! Yay!
> 
> So much is happening and so many characters are being introduced. I just hope that I’ll be able to make sense of all of this...


	5. One Bad Reunion

The crimson moon illuminated the eternal night air as Richter and Morrigan engaged their new enemy: a bloodthirsty Ryu only interested in death and violence. It was an exhausting battle on all fronts, but neither side had the upper hand. Even though Richter and Morrigan were a tag-team of two, Ryu's power alone was devastating. He was able to hold his own against both the hunter and succubus. The battle was stagnant, with neither side willing to surrender.

Here they were, a vampire hunter and a succubus teaming up against a bloodthirsty martial artist. The worst part was that they all knew each other in some respects. They all were once allies, friends even.

This was a reunion all right. One bad reunion.

While Ryu's motives were abundantly clear, Richter didn't want to kill Ryu. To him, Ryu was his friend and seeing him like this upset the young Belmont. How could someone so calm and focused become so hateful and violent? Morrigan, on the other hand, wasn't too surprised. In fact, she actually looked forward to this day. The succubus had known that one day, someday, this wild side would tear its way out and wreak havoc on anyone who dared cross his way. But despite her eagerness to face Ryu like this, she too didn't want to end his life. He was too good to die. Humans like Ryu weren't as common as she would like to think and besides, he too was her friend.

For now, the fighting remained to a minimum, with Ryu's shallow breathing filling the silence.

"Ryu, I'm your friend, remember?" Richter tried to calm Ryu down, "We're friends... Please, just listen to me."

Richter lowered his weapon in an attempt to show he was being peaceful, however that didn't mean he wouldn't arm himself still. He was fully aware that Ryu could strike at any moment and it was a dangerous bet, but he still believed that the Ryu he knew was still there somewhere.

"...Bel... mont..." Ryu breathed. For a moment, Ryu ceased, lowering his fists a little.

"Oh, my," Morrigan replied, "So he hasn't lost himself entirely?"

"I know you're stronger than this" Richter continued, ignoring Morrigan, "This isn't you."

"Belmont... Mo... Morrigan," Ryu continued to repeat their names, holding his arm as if he were repressing his violent urges, "R-Run..."

A warning to flee. He was self-aware that he was a threat, but he couldn't control himself anymore. The feral tenacity had already made itself known and Ryu didn't know how much longer he could control it. He was in the same position as Richter and Morrigan: he didn't want to fight them, let alone kill them, but the maddening voice in his head screamed at him to strike, to kill without remorse.

_"KILL THEM ALL. KILL THEM ALL. KILL THEM ALL!!!"_

"I... I... Die... Die...! DIE!!" Ryu screeched, heading towards both of them.

"My, my," Morrigan replied, dodging his attacks, "Someone's eager tonight..."

A tendril formed around the succubus's arm and it was quickly latched itself onto Ryu's chest. It was like a needle, cutting itself through the skin and latching itself like an anchor. Then, a shockwave of energy was sent through the fighter's body.

"All that power, and you _still_ haven't mastered it completely," Morrigan mocked, "I always knew that someday, that beastly side of you would take over."

“Everything I am… _IS VIOLENCE!!_ ”

Ryu let out a burst of energy, promptly pushing Morrigan back and causing her to release her grip on him. The succubus struggled a bit but she managed to ground herself once more.

"Your life is over! I'll tear you apart!!" Ryu called out.

Morrigan couldn't react fast enough. Ryu had already pulled her in and he was far too close. His fist was already heading straight towards her, however, she blocked his attack with her wings. She winced quickly, realizing the amount of force that attack had. The two clashed and Morrigan already knew that Ryu wasn't going to break away any time soon. In fact, he kept pushing forward, the red aura around him glowing even more as his rage built up. Her heels were digging into the floor now.

_"Oh... This could actually be bad..."_

However, quick on his feet, Richter pulled Morrigan towards him with his whip, jumped back and threw the bottle of holy water towards the ground, creating a wall of fire between them. Ryu reared back, letting go of Morrigan and Morrigan, in turn, was pulled back to Richter's side. Ryu roared in retaliation, sending a hateful glare towards Richter.

"Puny weakling!" Ryu bellowed, "How dare you interfere! I would have your head!!"

"Hey, are you alright?" Richter asked, not taking his eyes off Ryu.

"That brute..." Morrigan hissed, flapping her wings. She was a bit taken aback. First and foremost, Ryu was surprisingly faster than usual. Stronger, yes that was expected especially in the state he was in now, but his quickness was something else. She's never seen Ryu this fast before or this durable. The shockwave she had sent his way did little to nothing, hell, it didn't even stun Ryu.

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Richter said, "He's almost like a demon and he won't stop until he's killed both of us. We need a plan and fast..."

"Well, its either him or us, Belmont," Morrigan replied, "I'm not too sure about you, but I don't intend to die here."

"I don't either, but..."

The Belmont couldn't bring himself to finish that thought. Killing Ryu was the last resort, an option he would never even consider, especially since a portion of Ryu's sanity was still there somewhere.

"I have an idea Belmont and you're going to have to put that kink to use," Morrigan inquired, flying ahead, "Just follow my lead, Okay~?"

Again, Morrigan was referring to the Vampire Killer as a sex toy, which didn't make Richter feel any better about the situation, "It's not a kink! It's a _family heirloom_!"

Morrigan giggled while rolling her eyes before creating a mirrored image of herself. 

Her attention turned to Ryu now, "Oh, you've been a bad one!”

There were two Morrigans now: the original at the front and the mirrored image at the back rushing toward Ryu. The attacks were swift, with Ryu countering from both sides. Despite it all, he hadn’t lost his fighting edge and this pleased Morrigan. It felt like old times again.

”I’m impressed. You’re actually keeping up,” Morrigan said.

Meanwhile, it didn’t take long for Richter to realize that Morrigan was using herself as a distraction, but what was she expecting him to do?

_”I don’t know what she’s going for, but I hope this works!”_

Spinning the whip to gain momentum, Richter lashed out towards Ryu, but instead of hitting him the end of the chain wrapped itself around Ryu’s body and pulled forward, tightening its grip. However, Ryu's brute force was a bit too much for Richter, forcing the Belmont to anchor himself to the floor.

"I got him pinned but I don’t know for how long!" Richter called, "I just hope you know what you're doing!"

"Of course," Morrigan said as she and her mirrored image kicked Ryu up in the air. With Ryu bound, Morrigan landed a barrage of attacks before ending it with a swift kick upside the head, sending him towards the ground with the added help of Richter forcefully pulling his whip to send Ryu crashing down hard.

”Did that do the trick?” Morrigan asked.

Richter approached the defeated Ryu, ”He’s unconscious, but he’s still alive. Thank God.”

”You did well, Belmont,” Morrigan said, “We make a pretty good team, you and I.”

“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that,” the vampire hunter replied bluntly, “But it would’ve been nice if you gave me a heads up next time.”

”Sorry,” Morrigan replied in the sweetest tone, earning her an annoyed glance from Richter.

But now their focus turned to the defeated street fighter. The two loomed over the ungodly sight of Ryu. A closer look revealed the details of the gaping hole in his heart. Richter reeled back in shock and horror. He still couldn't believe that this was Ryu, this bloodthirsty beast lying unconscious on the floor.

“What happened to him?” Richter asked.

“He succumbed to his darker impulses," Morrigan didn’t know all the details, but she'd try her best to explain, "I believe it's called the "Satsui no Hado." It's one of the many manifestations of the darker side of human nature. He probably killed off all those villagers back there to sate his bloodlust and he's been wandering the area ever since. I wouldn't put it past him."

So, Ryu was the cause of the massacre back at the village. Richter didn't want to accept that, but it seemed to be the only reasonable answer. There was silence between the two before Morrigan shook her head while Richter lowered his head.

"He never told you, did he?" She asked.

"He never did," he replied.

Ryu never told Richter about his darker side, let alone anyone who attended the Smash Tournaments. Maybe Ryu was afraid that he'd worry the other fighters if they knew about this or maybe he thought he had tamed this wild side only for it to resurface once more. Richter could only imagine the internal struggle Ryu had to endure in order to overcome his darker impulses. It reminded Richter that mortals, human or otherwise, are capable of doing horrible things. Even when they mean well, their desires can become distorted and they can lose themselves to their inner demons.

Corrin's misplaced sense of trust.

Ryu's violent bloodlust.

Morrigan as a whole.

In a world where evil runs freely without consequence, corrupting the hearts and minds of many, there was no other time to have a Belmont. Was he in over his head? Perhaps, but it came with the territory. Richter, of all people, knew this all too well. 

"I am starting to see a pattern," Morrigan said, "Ryu’s feral instincts taking over. And that dragon girl... Corrin, was it? Her rage and loneliness also manifested itself..."

"The world seems to be having a negative impact on everyone who crossed over," Richter continued, "You said it yourself, succubus. Worlds are colliding, and it looks like we're seeing the after-effects of it."

And he didn't like this. The idea of fighting the very people he'd become friends with was a horrible one, but ever so slowly, Richter had no choice but to accept this reality. He can only hope that the rest of his Smash brethren weren't affected by the sudden shift of worlds, let alone pulled in, but even that was probably asking for too much.

Richter sighed, "Teaming up with enemies and fighting allies along the way... It's happened before, but this is way worse."

"That just makes everything all the more interesting and it spices things up," Morrigan assured while approaching Richter, "We're in for quite a night, aren't we? But as long as the moon is out, we can spend this beautiful night together."

Her hands were pressed against his chest, looking up at him with that faux innocent expression. Richter looked down at her with a deadpan stare, but he later smirked, "Nice try, but you and me? Never gonna happen. Not even in a hundred years."

"Oh, are you sure about that?" She asked in a sultry tone.

"Like I'd fall for a vamp like you."

"Even if I was your precious Annette?"

"Don't even try it." He raised his whip.

She pushed him away, giggling, "Oh, Belmont! Behave yourself! We're not even that serious yet!"

There was that inflated sense of ego again which irritated Richter to no end. Where does she get the gall to act this way?

He shook his head, "Well, we better take him back to the village. We can't just leave him here."

"Are you sure about that?" Morrigan asked, "He could still be dangerous."

The sarcasm in her voice was evident, attempting to sound like a scared young woman, but Richter was not having any of it. Even though he attacked them and he could still be a threat, Richter just couldn't bring himself to leave Ryu here, not with everything that's happened far. Ryu was still his friend and more so, it seemed that a part of his original demeanor was still there from earlier, meaning that he isn't completely gone. They could still save him.

"C'mon, Ryu," Richter picked up Ryu and wrapped Ryu's arm around his neck, but grunted, "He's a little heavy..."

"Do you need my help?" Morrigan asked.

"No," Richter was quick with his response, "I got it, just stay over there."

"No promises," she replied hovering above him.

Richter grunted, "Why do I even bother?"

And so, the three continued their way back to the village. 

“You seem to know a lot about Ryu,” Richter alluded.

“Of course. I’ve known Ryu for quite a long time now. You could even say that we’ve become the closest of friends,” Morrigan replied happily.

Ryu? Close friends with a succubus? First, if that was true, then Ryu had a lot of explaining to do when he woke up. That got Richter thinking for a moment.

_“Hey, Ryu!”_

_“Oh. Hello, Richter.”_

_“I just wanted to catch up with you after the fight and ask how do you know so many of the fighters?”_

_“Hm? What do you mean?”_

_“I mean, you and Ken seem to have some prior history with Mega Man, not to mention Terry Bogard and even PAC-MAN. It’s kind of like how Simon knew Pit and he and I kinda knew who Snake was before entering the tournament. But you? You seem to know almost everyone here.”_

_“Well, I’ve gotten around, Belmont. When you’ve been traveling for as long as I have, you tend to cross paths with a few familiar faces and meet some new ones along the way.”_

_“Wow, small world isn’t it?”_

_“Yes. I suppose so.”_

“Yeah, it really is, isn’t it?” Richter said quietly.

“Hm?” Morrigan posed, cocking her head to the side.

“Nothing,” Richter answered, “It’s nothing.”

“Very well. After we dress Ryu’s wounds, where to next?” Morrigan asked.

“We’re heading to Dracula’s castle,” Richter said.

Morrigan sighed, “I figured, but do you even know where his castle is, Belmont?”

“...”

“Well, do you?”

“Well, uh…”

That was another problem. This was a new world, meaning everything wasn’t in the same place as before and Castlevania was no exception. It could be anywhere in this godforsaken realm. Richter groaned now realizing he was back to square one.

“Great… Just great,” Richter said.

“Well, it looks like we’re going to have to find his castle. Oh, what fun,” Morrigan said sarcastically.

* * *

"Ah..." Corrin said, getting up.

Corrin’s eyes fluttered open. Once again, she was somewhere else, but this time, there were floating isles covered under a thick veil of mist. Corrin didn't know why, but this place seemed awfully familiar like she had been here before. 

"Hm?" Checking her surroundings, she also realized that neither Yato nor her dragonstone was with her. She panicked for a moment, understandably so, and started looking for her lost weapons, but no luck. The world around her was peaceful and serene, yet there was something about this place that made Corrin uneasy. It was quiet, too quiet and after everything that's happened so far, the silence was almost terrifying.

Weapon or not Corrin had to press forward. Surely, she'll be able to find Richter and she just hoped she wouldn't cross paths with that succubus again. Corrin didn't want to admit it, but she actually feared Morrigan. She was far too powerful and that succubus was able to control her at her most vulnerable. Even though that succubus had suppressed her untamed wild side, Corrin felt like a pawn being manipulated for someone else's gain, especially when she tried to attack Richter when he was, in fact, not the enemy.

"I feel so used..."

A single tear streamed down her face. Feeling this powerless and weak made her feel like crying the more she thought about it. 

"I just..."

 _"_ I want..."

She couldn't finish. There was something she wanted, something very important, but she couldn't remember what it was. Corrin couldn't believe it: the very thing she cared about most and she couldn't remember it. What was it? 

_"...You are the ocean's gray waves..."_

Corrin stopped dead in her tracks and her ears pricked up. It was that voice again, the voice of... someone dear to her. It was distant, but it sounded all too familiar. Without thinking, Corrin followed the sound of the voice. It killed her knowing that she didn't know the name of the singer, but maybe she'll remember once she's found them. Down the path, she went in hopes of finding them.

Her findings had led her to a lake where there was a blue-haired singer along with several others listening to her sing. Some wore purple and black, the others wore red and white. It was all coming back to Corrin now. Wasting no time, the dragon princess ran towards the crowd with her arms outstretched, calling out their names. She couldn't be any happier.

"I'm here now!" Corrin called, tears flowing down her cheeks, "Everyone! I'm here!"

But the moment that they all turned their heads towards to face her, Corrin stopped dead in her tracks. Her blood ran cold and she stepped back in sheer fear of what she saw. Their faces were obscured, blank slates where their facial features were supposed to be. Terror couldn't describe how Corrin felt right now. She wanted to scream, but nothing came out, only constant stuttering and incomplete sentences. Then her faceless family members were all fleeting, one by one, into different colored butterflies. Black and Purple. White and Red.

"No...!" Corrin called, "Don't go! Please...!!"

No, there were so many unanswered questions that she had, but most of them had already faded away as a swarm of butterflies except for the blue-haired singer who turned away from Corrin and started to walk off. Corrin ran, her hand outstretched in an attempt to reach the blue-haired girl, but her attempts were futile as not only the girl also turned into a flurry of butterflies, but the ground started to crumble below her. They were reaching the cliffside now and Corrin had no other option but to jump with her dragon wings out to reach out to grab the girl's hand.

”I won’t let you go...!!”

Corrin grabbed her hand, but the singer's arm turned into butterflies and she herself became a crowd of glowing blue butterflies and Corrin fell into the endless chasm below, screaming. As she fell, the world around her started to break like a mirror. The whole world around her crumbled into a black void. All she could see now was darkness, but she kept falling.

Falling and falling...

Drowning and drowning...

She grabbed her throat. She couldn't breathe anymore, but she still felt like screaming.

_“It's over…”_

Rose petals began to fall.

_“It's all over.”_

A hand came over her eyes.

_“Everyone's gone…”_

The hand hovered over her mouth, silencing her.

_“I'm all alone…”_

She held the figure close, not wanting to let them go. The unknown figure wrapped its wings around Corrin and Corrin, in turn, did the same. The figure raised her head up and leaned in. 

_“I'm yours now... All yours…”_

"Aaaahhhh...!!!"

Corrin raised her head up, screaming in absolute terror. Her body was drenched in sweat and her breath was shallow. She checked her surroundings again and realized she was back in the room from before, the candlelight still ablaze. Upon getting up, Corrin also noticed that the bleeding wound from before was patched up and healed.

”Ah...!”

She placed a hand over her head, gritting her teeth. The dream. The horrible nightmares. It seemed that they were getting worse and worse with no end in sight. Faceless figures that looked so familiar, yet their names escaped her. 

“Why? Why can’t I remember...?”

It killed the dragon princess knowing that there was a familiarity, but she couldn’t put a name or face on any of them. She didn’t know it, but tears were streaming down her cheeks. But the sorrow was short-lived once Corrin looked up and froze as there was something— or someone— looking back at her from the doorway. Eyes as red as crimson staring back at her. The figure's details were obscured within the darkness but from what Corrin could tell, they were about. The same size as her and their scent was familiar, but she couldn't pinpoint it. Quickly, Corrin grabbed Yato and got into a battle stance, although she was shaking a bit.

"Wh-who's there...?!" She asked, “Show yourself!”

“C-Corrin...” Croaked the oddly familiar voice.

Still shaken, Corrin grabbed the candle, directed it towards the door and her blood ran cold.

There, standing in front of the doorway was the Princess of Ylisse, Lucina. One would think that Corrin would embrace Lucina, after all, with everything that’s happened seeing a familiar face was reassuring, but no. Rather, Corrin’s tail swished in a predatory motion and she started growling at the blue-haired swordswoman. It was obvious that Corrin was still gripped by Morrigan’s influence, anyone who wasn’t the succubus were seen as a threat, but there was something off about Lucina. She looked tired as if she hadn’t had any sleep in days. Her clothes were tattered and torn, her skin was pale, and she smelled of dandelions and... blood?

“Corrin…” Lucina echoed again.

“Stop!” Corrin exclaimed, “Don’t come any closer!”

“I’m… I’m not here to hurt you,” Lucina said softly.

“Stay away!” Corrin demanded, “Go away! Go away! You’re not real! None of this is real!!”

Corrin continued to threaten Lucina, but Lucina remained unmoved, aloof to Corrin’s pleas. Lucina put one foot forward but stopped abruptly. The two were just inches away from one another, but Lucina couldn’t get past the doorway. It was almost like there was an invisible barrier, barring her from Corrin. Upset, Lucina grit her teeth and for a moment her eyes glowed red before she faded away into the shadows.

“You’re not getting away!” Corrin called in pursuit, but Lucina was long gone. Even all traces of her scent were gone. It’s as if she vanished from thin air. Was Lucina’s presence even real or was she just another figment of her imagination?

Silence ensued before she stabbed the wall with her dragon tendril in utter frustration. The purple aura surrounded her again, the inherent rage resurfacing once more. Screaming, clawing away at her sanity.

“Corrin?”

“Are you alright, my dear?”

The tendril receded once Corrin heard the concerned voices of Richter and Morrigan from outside. In an instant, Corrin ran outside to be greeted by the two, plus an unconscious Ryu leaning on Richter’s side. Corrin jumped into Morrigan’s bosom, holding her tightly while ignoring Richter and Ryu entirely.

“My my! You looked like you’ve seen a ghost,” Morrigan said.

Corrin remained silent before holding Morrigan tightly, “I don’t know anymore.”

“Was there someone in the house, Corrin?” Richter asked.

Corrin sent a cynical look Richter’s way, once again showing that she still didn’t trust him; however, Morrigan sighed.

“Corrin, the Belmont is our friend. If you have anything to say to me, you can say it to him too,” Morrigan said flatly.

Corrin pouted. Fine then. For once, Corrin will humor Richter. They were “friends” after all. She turned to Richter with a blank stone-cold expression.

“Lucina…” Corrin said.

“Lucina?” Richter asked, “She was here?”

Corrin nodded, “I think so, but there was something off about her. She smelled of blood and looked pale.”

Richter suddenly ran cold. Blood? Pale? His intuition was telling him that Lucina might be a vampire. He just hoped that it didn’t come down to that, but he had to keep asking more questions. He needed confirmation before coming to a conclusion.

“Corrin, did Lucina have fangs?” Richter asked.

Corrin pondered for a moment, “Come to think of it, I think she did and her eyes… those eyes…”

“Were they red?”

“Yes. Glowing red.”

Red eyes, fangs, pale complexion, rank smell of blood. These were all the signs of a vampire, no doubt. As a Belmont, Richter knew the signs of possible vampirism and Lucina might be a victim of it. If this was true then she had become the very thing that he is destined to hunt down. Richter felt a sense of defeat. He couldn’t save her, but he couldn’t just give up now. 

Subjugation turned to resolution and a burning passion to find and destroy Dracula and the others once and for all. 

Richter adjusted Ryu, “We’re leaving now.”

“But what about Ryu?” Morrigan asked.

“We’ll patch him up along the way, but we can’t stay here for much longer,” Richter replied.

“Fine then. But I do have a quick question. Who is this Lucina girl?” Morrigan asked.

“A friend of ours, but I’m starting to doubt that,” Richter answered.

“She’s from my world, granted she’s from a different realm than mine,” Corrin said, “She’s the Princess of Ylisse and a competent swordsman. She also has a strange fashion sense.”

Morrigan giggled at that last statement, “Well, I do hope we get to meet her soon.”

Morrigan was just about to leave as well, but Corrin held her hand, shaking her head nonstop, “You… You won’t leave me, will you?”

Morrigan smiled warmly as she approached Corrin. She cupped her cheek and kissed her nose gently, “I won’t. I promise.”

The soft tone in her voice was comforting to Corrin and Morrigan smelled of sweet roses.

_“Just like the dream…”_

"Besides, the big and strong Belmont will protect us, right?" Morrigan asked, looking at Richter.

"Yeah, yeah… But are we going to get a move on or what?” Richter called.

“We will. Come along, Corrin,” Morrigan directed.

“Yes, yes... Right,” Corrin continued, following them.

They would bid their farewell to the village, but Corrin took one last look back at the empty town. She couldn’t shake off the idea of Lucina’s appearance, more importantly the dream she had, but she started to fall behind and had to catch up with Richter, Morrigan, and Ryu.

Meanwhile, Lucina watched from the shadows intently.

“Everyone...” She said quietly.

_“Come. Return to me.”_

Lucina lowered her head, “I’m sorry…”

_“That is an order.”_

She closed her eyes and sighed. She could not disobey an order, “Yes, My Lord.”

And with that, Lucina disappeared into the night. It was time to return to her new master.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished. I had to rewrite this chapter a total of six times before I was satisfied with the results, which in turn I had to revise the chapters after this one. On the bright side, that means more chapters will be released faster.
> 
> If you've read this far, I have to say thank you! I truly do appreciate it and I hope to deliver more on the way!


	6. Schadenfreude

Maximoff Castle was as ominous as ever. Demitri sat on his throne with his legs crossed, nonchalantly shaking his crimson wine in a circular motion. He seemed rather pleased tonight. Refreshed and replenished, a feeling that he hadn’t felt in ages. His concubines had kept him company through the night, singing their praises of him as usual, but Demitri was patiently waiting for his little blue flower to return to him. Ah yes, his newest member to his ever-growing harem: the blue-haired woman from Dracula’s mirror. Lucina was her name, he remembered, a princess from another world through Demitri would’ve mistaken her for a man given her attire and body shape (Lucina's chest was as flat as a board).

Demitri was greatly interested in Lucina, but it was not because he was in love with the woman. No, his pride would never allow himself to genuinely love anyone, let alone another human. But he chose to pursue this woman because after Morrigan had seduced that dragon girl and formed an alliance with that Belmont, she had gained two formidable allies as a result. She was gathering all her pawns together, so he should do the same. Also, Lucina was a natural beauty. With beautiful long hair like hers and a cute face, she'd make a fine addition to his harem. Also, her blood was a delicacy to be savored. She was like fine wine: aged to perfection. Sweet and refreshing, like all virgin women, but she was one of the finer victims he's ever had the pleasure of feasting upon. Never had he tasted the blood of the Exalted.

Besides, how long has it been since he's dined on the blood of a fair young maiden from the human world?

Demitri's attention then turned to the row of columns and he smirked, “You can come out of the shadows now. There’s no point in hiding, my dear.”

Shyly, Lucina came out from the shadows, her glowing red eyes fading back to blue. She had a tired expression. No, it was that of hunger. Demitri knew a look of starvation when he saw it. She slowly raised her head up to look at the vampire.

“My Lord,” Lucina bowed.

“Ah... My little flower has returned to me,” Demitri said in a low seductive voice, standing up. He beckoned her to come to him and she obeyed with her hand outstretched towards him to take. He then kissed it, smiling back at the now-blushing princess. Demitri's concubines, however, showed slight disdain towards Lucina with their haughty behavior. The jealousy was rampant among these women. Demitri noticed this and was annoyed by their reactions.

"Begone," Demitri commanded his concubines with a flick of his cape. They were reluctant, but they did as they were told and left the room. It was only just Demitri and Lucina now, alone in the dimly-lit throne room.

“My Lord…” Lucina said again, this time in a more coy tone.

Demitri smiled back at her. He loved seeing her this way, "Tell me, we're you not able to feed tonight?"

“...No,” Lucina responded hesitantly.

His smile then turned to slight annoyance, “I thought I told you to feed off that dragon girl.”

Lucina remained silent for a brief moment and looked away from Demitri, but the vampire demanded an answer from her. His red eyes pierced through her, making her feel so small and insignificant. She couldn't remain silent for long, lest she'd incur Demitri's wrath, but before she could even speak Demitri turned over her hand and found slight burn marks, moreover the smell was weak but repulsive.

“Holy water… That damn Belmont,” Demitri hissed. 

"It's nothing," Lucina stammered, pulling her hand away, "It's nothing to worry about."

Actually, a part of Lucina was grateful that it was able to stop her from hurting Corrin. Corrin was terrified and Lucina couldn't blame her. She _did_ try to prey upon her, but it was a moment of weakness. Starvation and lack of sustenance since she was turned into a vampire made her forget her humanity at that moment. In her eyes, Corrin was just food to feed her growing desire for blood. Just thinking about it made Lucina’s stomach churn. She could never think of doing such a thing to Corrin, not when she had been a good friend of hers since Fourth Smash Tournament. 

"No, it is serious. I sent you out on your own since you've been cooped up in my castle," Demitri crossed his arms, "yet you haven't eaten in the past several nights and you refused to feast upon your friend and father—"

"No! I won’t!" Lucina interrupted with a fierce tone. Her eyes shined red for a moment and her fangs were clearly visible, "I will never do that to them!"

Robin and Chrom were not food. Since her awakening as a vampire, Lucina had refused to drink Robin or Chrom’s blood, even when Demitri offered them to her as "gifts." Her bonds with those two were far too strong; however, Demitri grinned at the girl, showing off his ivory white fangs. To think she still had the will to openly defy him in his own domain. He thought of punishing her for such outbursts, but her feeble attempts to show that she still had her humanity intact made him laugh. 

“How bold of you to defy me. but you should be grateful, Princess,” Demitri spat, “I spared you and even gave you power that most humans would kill for, and here you are, starving yourself for what? Friends? Family? These "bonds" you hold so dearly? Don't make me laugh. In the end, those bonds will be severed and your loved ones will die. Gone forever.”

Lucina took a few steps back, “No... No, that’s not true!”

Lucina shook her head in denial. She refused to believe that sentiment, not after everything she’s ever fought for. Her family and friends were her everything, especially now since she had lost them once in a future where hope was snuffed out like a flame. It was the reason why she returned to the past: to preserve what she had lost. Yet, here was Demitri telling her that it was all a lost cause, that her efforts will always be in vain.

“It’s not true,” Lucina whimpered, “It can’t be true…”

She slumped to the floor on her knees, covering her face with her hands. Her whimpers were music to Demitri’s ears. He did enjoy torturing Lucina mentally and emotionally. Demitri laughed at the distressed princess as he drifted towards her, openly mocking her.

“Oh, but it is, my dear. Humans are so fragile, anyways. It’s pathetic. And besides…” Demitri then raised Lucina's chin up with a single finger. Red tears streamed down her cheeks while she bit her lip. She looked so innocent and vulnerable, which pleased him even more, “You are mine now. Your life belongs to me. You will come to enjoy this new life of yours soon enough and you will feed tonight.”

His voice had a soothing tone to it and his red eyes glimmered as he looked into Lucina’s eyes. Lucina felt odd. Her body grew weaker and weaker. 

_"What's happening to me?"_

_"Why do I feel so... hungry?"_

_"Hungry... I must... feed."_

Her blue eyes faded into red and her cheeks flushed a light pink, hissing out of starvation. She must sate that growing craving now.

Demitri wiped away the bloody tears, “Now, come.”

Lucina rested her head on his hand and held it, “Yes, My Lord.”

The two left the throne room and made their way downstairs towards the dungeon. It was a large, damp, and dark room, with no source of light besides candlestands and the moon's light from the barred windows. Bones and skulls of the imprisoned littered the floor and the room smelled of death, decay, and dried blood, coupled along with the echoes of prisoners screaming for their lives. Lucina ignored all of this, following her vampire master down the brick corridors towards the end of the hall. There, chained to the wall by his wrists was a young man of hazel eyes and white hair wearing an oversized bloodied cloak and nothing else. He looked almost as if he were just a dangling corpse, just barely holding on to whatever semblance of the life he had left in him. Regardless of his near-death state, his thin lips curled into a faint smile once he saw Lucina.

"Lu... Lucina..." he breathed.

"Robin..." Lucina replied.

She strode towards him and cupped her hands over his cheeks, holding him closer towards her. For the past several nights, Robin, the amnesiac tactician, had been tortured by Demitri. He had cuts and bruises all over his body and small bite marks all around his neck. Robin was like a bird chained in a cage, stripped of his freedom and forced to become a plaything for someone else’s pleasure and sustenance. But even after all the pain and suffering, he was happy to know that Lucina was alright.

“I’m glad you’re... here,” Robin sighed before his legs gave out on him, falling forward towards Lucina.

Lucina caught him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She remained silent and just kept holding on to Robin. It's been so long since she's held him like this. He felt so warm and she could hear his heartbeat. Slow and steady. And the blood running through his veins...

Then Robin could faintly hear heavy breathing down his neck.

"Lucina...?" Robin asked.

Her grip tightened around him. Her eyes started glowing red. Her cheeks flushed red and she opened her mouth revealing her white fangs.

"Robin... Forgive me... But your blood..." Lucina breathed into his ear, "Your blood smells nice..."

Robin shivered at her response. The tips of her fangs were on his neck, puncturing his skin.

"Lucina!!"

Lucina froze. She stayed like that for a while, realizing what she was about to do. Her fangs only scratched the surface of his skin. In response, she quickly pulled away and shook her head. A cold sweat ran down her cheek as she held her shaking hands close to her bosom. She was this close to biting Robin's neck, this close to drinking his blood.

“No...” She whispered while shaking her head, "No, I can't...!"

Demitri sneered in disgust. To think that he actually thought that Lucina would finally rid herself of her human side and become one with the night. But no, she had to let her humanity get in the way again.

"Very well, be that way," Demitri said, pulling out a single red rose, "I suppose I'll indulge myself then."

Demitri then floated towards Robin with the rose in hand. Robin's eyes widened at the sight of the vampire and struggled to move away. He knew what was coming and he certainly didn’t want Lucina of all people to witness what Demitri was planning to him.

"No, no! Stay back!"

But he didn't. Once Demitri came in contact with Robin, there was a sudden gust of clouds and sparkles. As the clouds faded, Lucina reeled back in shock. Robin's hairstyled turned to pigtails, his chest and hips were curvier, and his any masculine features he had became more feminine.

"R-Robin?!"

"No... Lu-Lucina—!! D-Don't look!!" Robin stammered.

Robin had just become... _a woman?!_

Lucina covered her mouth in sheer shock. So, this was what Demitri was doing to Robin behind closed doors. Demitri would never allow Lucina near Robin while he was around and now she could see why now and why Robin was so hesitant to tell her about his "torture sessions" with Demitri.

Come to think of it, in the future Lucina’s mother was Robin and his feminine form shared too many similarities to her. Almost everything about this was hitting too close to home. Even his voice sounded like her mother’s...

Lucina blushed heavily. The more she thought about it, the more awkward it became.

Meanwhile, Robin was so embarrassed. His—er, her— entire face flushed red, looking away. She couldn’t fathom Lucina seeing him like this. Emasculated, again. But to Demitri, this was perfect. He never liked drinking male blood (too strong and robust for his tastes), but in the presence of a male, he’d circumvent this by changing their gender. This was his signature move: The Midnight Bliss. Demitri was the only known vampire to use it; not even Dracula had this ability.

"Come on, baby~"

Demitri raised Robin by her wrists, raising her off from the ground. His body morphed into a black monstrous form, but his sharp white teeth and bloodshot eyes remained. Despite this, Robin's demeanor began to change. Robin's face turned from defiance to straight horror as Demitri sank his fangs into her neck. If her screams before weren’t scary before, then her wailing was a sound of absolute terror. 

"Lucina..."

Robin reached out towards Lucina with tears streaming down her face. She hoped for Lucina to do something, but As Demitri feasted upon Robin's neck, Lucina watched attentively. She then started to quietly smack her lips together. She could smell Robin's blood and the sensations were tantalizing, so tempting to every one of her senses and seeing Demitri indulge himself in Robin's blood only made her ravenous cravings worse. She bit her lower lip.

_"So... Thirsty..."_

She couldn't help herself any longer. She reached out towards Robin with a sensual look in her eyes and took her hand. The soft and warm touch of Robin's fingertips moving down cheek was too much for Lucina to bear. She started kissing Robin's hand slowly, her lips tracing around her palm for a brief moment until she made her way down to Robin's wrists.

There.

Right there.

Lucina could feel it pulsating against her lips. Blood rushing through the veins. A fiendish smile curled around her lips as she looked at Robin with the same glare Demitri had, all the while licking the tips of her fangs. Without haste, Lucina bit into Robin's wrist, earning her another painful scream from Robin, but Lucina ignored this. Robin's blood was simply divine and she wanted more. More blood. More.

Meanwhile, Robin remained there speechless, hopelessly watching Lucina drink her blood while Demitri continued to bite down on her neck. The sharp pain in her neck and the sound of her blood being sucked right out of her...

Then everything started to become a blur...

Then darkness...

Demitri pulled away, savoring the tactician's blood, "Ah, so refreshing..."

He then noticed Lucina, who was still sucking down on Robin's wrist. Blood dribbled down the edge of her lips as she dined on Robin's blood. It brought Demitri great satisfaction seeing Lucina enjoying one of the hidden pleasures of being a vampire.

"Enough," Demitri commanded, "She's already lost enough blood. She'll die at this rate if you keep feeding on her. Leave her be for now."

Lucina pulled away from Robin's wrist, her breathing shallow.

"But, Lord Demitri. I'm still so hungry..." Lucina replied, "Please... Just a bit longer..."

She was still unsatisfied. Typical for a new budding vampire. 

"Not to worry. I think you'll find the next one more filling," Demitri said, "Now, come with me."

Lucina followed Demitri down yet another hallway where there was another cell that was dirtier and abused. In that cell was a shirtless man curled in the fetal position, shackled by his hands behind his back. He wore a blindfold over his eyes and his mouth was gagged with a bloodied cloth, breathing heavily. 

"Awake, swine," Demitri commanded, banging his hand on the cell bars.

Startled, the man scrambled in fear before weakly raising himself up. He turned in different directions in confusion while whimpering something. He heard the door unlocking and footsteps coming towards him, but before he could do anything else, his blindfold was quickly ripped away.

"...?"

Demitri loomed over him with a mocking grin, but the man's eyes widened with shock when he saw Lucina standing behind Demitri.

"Mmmph...!" he struggled to say.

"Father..." Lucina replied flatly.

Lucina's father, Chrom, tried to get up, but Demitri swiftly kicked him in the gut and fresh blood dripped from the gag. Chrom fell over, gagging in pain.

Demitri growled, "I didn't tell you to get up, did I?"

Chrom just gritted his teeth, looking back at Demitri with a hateful glare. If he wasn't bound and if he had the Falchion right now, he would've stabbed the heart of this vampire dastard. It was one thing to torture him, it was another thing to humiliate Robin, but the fact that this cretin vampirized his own daughter and took her in as his own... Well, words could not describe just how much that enraged Chrom. 

"Alright then. On your knees," Demitri commanded.

Chrom reluctantly did as he was told. He looked down in shame since he was at the mercy of his enemy. Lucina then came over and knelt down to Chrom's level and removed the gag.

Chrom looked up, "Lu—"

Before he could finish, Lucina hugged her father tightly, her fingernails digging into his skin. Chrom was caught off guard, but he welcomed the hug nonetheless. He just wished he could hug her back, but he remembered the shackles. Demitri, on the other hand, rolled his eyes. This was too sappy for his liking, but Lucina was Chrom's daughter.

"Lucina," Chrom cracked.

"Father..." Lucina replied softly.

Tears streamed down Chrom's cheeks. He hasn't seen his daughter since being thrown into his cell, yet he'd rather be in her place than see her suffer like this. He could only imagine the pain and suffering that Lucina was going through. He should've listened to Robin. They shouldn't have entered the castle, let alone trusted someone like Demitri, but they were exhausted and Demitri offered them a place to stay. They needed shelter since the Risen and other ghoulish fiends jumped them at every corner and they were much, much stronger than usual. They couldn't keep fighting forever. The odd part was that everything seemed normal the first night. Then red flags started going off.

It started with Demitri's interest in Lucina.

Then Lucina started acting strange.

Then Robin went missing.

Then Lucina screamed.

Then Chrom was knocked out.

At least, that's all Chrom could remember. Everything was still a blur. But here he was in the arms of his daughter. At the very least, he could take solace in that.

"I'm... I'm sorry," was all Chrom could say.

_"I'm sorry too, Father..."_

Lucina looked at him, "Father, may I drink your blood?"

There was a soft and sweet tone in her voice as she said that. It was so enticing, and her eyes were so inviting and alluring to Chrom. He didn't know what came over him, but he felt oddly calm. Even with what Lucina had just said, Chrom seemed fine with it, almost eager.

"Yes," Chrom said in a monotone voice, "You may have my blood."

He bent his head to the side, exposing his neck to her. Lucina then brandished her fangs and the tips punctured Chrom's skin before sinking them in entirely. Yet, Chrom felt no pain. He was too numb to even feel it, too dazed to even scream or do anything at that point. He just knelt there as his own daughter was draining him of his blood. Finally, Lucina pulled away, relishing in her own father's blood. A strong hit, yet an oddly sweet aftertaste. Demitri was rather impressed. Lucina was already learning, playing around with her new powers. Soon enough, bit by bit, she will reject her humanity and embrace what it means to be a vampire and he'll be there. Every step of the way.

"Come, my dear," Demitri said, putting his hand out.

Lucina wiped the blood off her mouth and took the vampire's hand, "Yes, My Lord."

And thus Lucina left with Demitri, but not before looking back at her father with a look of apathy. He may still be dazed, but Chrom could see it in her soulless eyes. He meant nothing to her now. He was just food to her. Chrom outstretched a hand towards Lucina, but his efforts were futile. Lucina, his dearest daughter— his pride and joy— wasn't herself anymore. From the red glowing eyes to the blood running down the edges of her lips, she had become a shell of her former self, a slave to her own cravings. 

"Lucina... No..."

Chrom fell to the floor and drifted into unconsciousness.

The night was cold, the dungeon colder, and their hearts and bodies the coldest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, finished.
> 
> I recently got a PS Vita with an overhaul of games (I swear, the Vita is such an underrated handheld console) and the outbreak has me running helter-skelter, so I've been a bit sidetracked. 
> 
> I decided to break from all the infighting and meetups with the main characters and write about Lucina, Robin, and Chrom's predicaments. I thought it was interesting to write about the tragedies that have befallen the three of them and the deterioration of Lucina's humanity.
> 
> Oh, and schadenfreude means "to mock and enjoy the suffering of others." I think it was a fitting title for this chapter.
> 
> Edit: Had to delete this chapter for publication date reasons. Forgot that AO3 is horrible at managing that. I wish they would fix that because it's quite annoying to deal with.


	7. Unrest and Unease

_"Have I really purged ‘that side’ of me?”_

Standing under a blood moon, Ryu stood with his fist up in the air, his torn black gi and headband whistling in the wind. Behind him was a trail of blood and lifeless bodies, each of them a familiar face. The most prominent one was the one Ryu was standing over: the cadaver of a bald-headed man wearing an eyepatch with a freshly opened wound in his chest. No, there was something in Ryu’s hand, something red and fleshy and it was leaking a red liquid which ran down his arm. A second glance revealed that it was a human heart. Without another thought, Ryu crushed it, its blood gushing all over his face. He then howled at the moon in a crazed frenzy, but was it of malicious mania or absolute pain? It was hard to tell.

_“To become more powerful, does that mean that one has to lose their humanity in the process?”_

It was like looking through a mirror. The worst version of himself looking back at him with those eyes, those bloodthirsty eyes that pierced through the fighter's soul like daggers, running straight for him with intense ferocity.

_“Shinku Hadoken!!”_

_“...!”_

Then Ryu shot up, gasping for air. A chill ran down his spine and his heart was racing. He placed a hand over his chest to calm himself down, but he noticed that both it and his arm was patched up with bandages— used bloodied bandages to be specific.

“You’re awake,” a voice called out.

Ryu turned over, “Ah… Richter?”

The Belmont was slumped against a tree with his arms crossed. He nonchalantly kicked a small stick into the small fire that he made. Ryu, though surprised, was more than relieved to see a fellow Smash Fighter, but it didn’t look like Richter shared the same sentiment. He seemed tense, keeping his distance away from Ryu with the fire separating the two.

“What... What happened?” Ryu asked.

“I'll fill you in on all the details later, but in short you almost tried to kill us,” Richter replied bluntly, now kneeling down to keep the fire going, “You weren’t yourself back there, Ryu. It’s like you were someone else entirely.”

Richter’s response made Ryu’s blood go cold. He couldn’t believe that those darker impulses had returned again: the Satsui no Hado, a dark force of power that turns the host into a violent and blood-lusting killer. Ryu had thought that Gouken had fully sealed it away or that he was strong-willed enough to overcome its influence, but by Richter’s account, that didn’t seem to be the case. The Belmont’s wounds didn’t make the situation any better, especially the purple fingerprints around his neck. To think that he could’ve killed Richter in cold blood…

“Richter, I’m—”

“Apology accepted,” Richter interrupted, “It wasn’t your fault and I’m just glad you’re back to normal, Ryu.”

The Belmont faintly smiled back at the martial artist, though it was more to reassure himself. Ryu looked down at his bandaged hand. “Normal” wasn’t the right word to use, but it was close enough. Even after all that has happened, Richter still took it upon himself to patch up Ryu’s wounds and watch over him while he was unconscious. Richter held no grudges and easily forgave Ryu despite Ryu almost killing him. Truly, Richter was an honorable young man and Ryu always respected him in that regard mostly because Ryu saw a bit of himself in the young Belmont.

“Now since we’re on the same page, what happened back there Ryu?” Richter asked.

“I… I don’t know what came over me,” Ryu admitted, “l… I remember Ken and I were sparring before then, but then everything went red and my head…”

Ryu cupped his hands over his face, groaning in pain. Just simply remembering caused his head to throb like a bell. When he looked back up he saw Richter extending an arm and in his hand was a damp cloth.

“Here. Use this,” Richter said.

“Thanks,” Ryu replied.

Ryu felt a little better now once he applied the cloth to his head. It was dirty, but it did its job. As for Richter, he waited until Ryu was feeling better. There was a brief moment of silence between the two.

“So, I need to know Ryu,“ Richter broke the silence, “How long have you been struggling with this?”

Ryu looked at Richter with a dumbfounded look, “With what?”

Richter attempted to pronounce the name, “The… Satsui no Hado…?” 

Ryu remained silent, but it was clear that he was shocked, shocked that Richter knew about it, even though Ryu never told him about it. How did he know? Who told him? Looking down, he quietly clenched his fists. It wasn’t something he wanted to talk about, but Richter was persistent. He wasn’t about to let this go and Ryu’s silence didn’t make him feel any better.

“And you weren’t going to tell anybody?” Richter asked again with slight aggression in his voice.

“It’s none of your concern, Richter,” Ryu replied quickly.

“It is my concern now, Ryu,” Richter pointed at him, “You tried to kill us. You at least owe me an explanation—”

“Even if I told you, there’s nothing you could do to stop it,” Ryu interrupted, turning away from Richter, “This is my fight and my fight alone, Belmont. I appreciate the sentiment, but please. Just drop it.”

Richter remained silent for a time before sighing. In hindsight, it didn’t matter if Ryu was open about talking about the Satsui no Hado since Morrigan had already informed Richter about it, albeit a base understanding of it. But now thinking about it, Richter had to admit that he might have been overstepping his boundaries. Granted, he had all the right to be on the defensive, but it was clear that Ryu wasn’t in the best condition to explain himself both physically and mentally. Best to leave it alone for now.

Speaking of _her_...

Richter then looked up, “Where is she? She said she’d be back soon.”

While the young Belmont sighed out of frustration, Ryu was by far confused at the moment.

“Who?” Ryu asked.

“That damn succubus,” Richter replied.

Succubus? Come to think of it, while they were fighting, Ryu remembered that Richter was accompanied by another woman who looked strikingly familiar...

_"Wait, was that…?"_

“Morrigan... ” Ryu looked off to the side.

Richter looked at Ryu, but his expression was less than enthused, “So, you do know her...”

They stared at each other in silence again, but the increased tension was unbearable. To be honest, Ryu wasn’t surprised that Morrigan was here as well. Fate always had a strange way of bringing the two of them together, especially when worlds collide, and knowing Morrigan, she wouldn't miss an opportunity to cause a bit of mischief. It just happened so often that it was normal for Ryu to expect to encounter Morrigan at some point; however, judging by Richter's sudden change in voice, he was less than amused to hear Ryu’s response. Ryu certainly had a lot to explain to a rather dumbfounded Richter.

Ryu sighed. There weren’t any benefits from lying, “Yes, I do know her. She and I have… a lot of history together.”

Richter reeled in disgust while Ryu crossed his arms and closed his eyes, bracing for the worst. Richter was now pacing back and forth with his hands over his head.

Richter pointed at Ryu, “You’ve got to be kidding me, Ryu!”

Ryu shook his head, “Richter, you must understand...”

“I understand enough! She is a succubus!”

“I know that, but she’s not particularly evil.”

“How could you say that with a straight face?!”

“... Her motives are questionable, yes, but having known her for a long time, I doubt she's the 'evil temptress' that you think she is,” Ryu answered, "And you're so quick to accuse me, but tell me, Richter. Why are _you_ working with her, knowing what she is?"

“It's... It's not like I had a choice,” Richter turned around, “She has Corrin under her control and I couldn't leave Corrin in her clutches.”

"Princess Corrin?" Ryu asked. 

Richter nodded and Ryu let out a small grunt. If Corrin was pulled in, then that made Ryu ponder for a moment: who else was thrown in from another world? Other Smash Fighters? Worlds beyond Smash?

But, then there's Morrigan. Deep down, Ryu wanted to believe that Morrigan meant no harm to Corrin or any of them for that matter, but there was that constant underlying thought that she had ulterior motives. Who knows? She’s probably using Corrin to torment Richter, to force him to comply under her terms. Ryu’s known Morrigan for quite a long time, but even now she can be very unpredictable. A wildcard, so to speak.

Ryu looked around, “If that’s the case, then where could they have gone?”

Richter sighed, “She said she would scout the area for potential dangers and Corrin was persistent to go with her, even when I told her not to, but that succubus sure is taking her sweet time…”

Then Richter turned around, his back facing Ryu.

“You’re going to go look for them?” Ryu stood up, “Then let me come with you.”

“No, Ryu. You should rest for now,” Richter retorted.

“I’ll be fine. Besides, we should probably keep moving anyways,” Ryu replied, “This is your expertise, so I think you should take the lead, Richter.”

“Guess I can’t convince you otherwise,” Richter murmured, “Alright. Let’s go find the girls.”

* * *

“Do you see anything?” Corrin called from below.

“Looks like we’re almost out of the woods,” Morrigan replied, “And I see some lights. It has to be a nearby town with people in it.”

Corrin sighed a breath of relief, “Oh, thank the Gods.”

Morrigan sighed, "Ah... Maybe this time we'll be greeted by some friendly townsfolk. It would be a nice change of pace."

Morrigan smiled as she lowered herself to meet Corrin who smiled back at her. Taking a good look at Corrin, Morrigan couldn't help to think of how cute Corrin looked right now: her knees touching each other, her hands clasped against her chest, and her tail swishing in a rather playful motion. Her crimson eyes, although lacking the shine it did before, had the innocent look of a child, blissfully unaware of the decrepit world around her. It was a master-servant dynamic: Corrin was like an adorable little doll, watching and waiting for the next order to be given to her. She placed a finger under Corrin’s chin, rubbing it in the process and Corrin winced a bit.

When this was all over, Morrigan decided that she would take Corrin away. Perhaps she'd turn Corrin into one of her personal playthings. She’d make a fine servant and Morrigan was lacking in female servants around the house. Speaking of more servants, it would be nice to have Richter and Ryu accompany her as well. Come to think of it, Richter was similar to Ryu, both in looks and personality. The similarities were uncanny, but welcomed all the same. They were both immune to her dark charms, but with a little push, maybe, just maybe, they'd fall for her as well. She placed a finger over her lips and curled a devilish smile as she thought about it. A splendid harem with cute girls and handsome men...

_"One at a time, Morrigan. One at a time..."_

"Uh, Mistress...?" Corrin asked, interrupting Morrigan's train of thought.

“... Oh! Ah... Yes. Sorry about that. A wonderful thought just crossed my mind just now,” Morrigan then motioned Corrin, “Come along, Corrin. The men must be worried about us. Let’s not keep them waiting.”

Corrin slightly bowed her head, “...”

“Hm?” Morrigan noticed the gesture.

“I…” Corrin stopped in her tracks, lowering her head even more, "You... Seem to be very attracted to Richter..."

"Oh... Well, 'attracted' isn't the word I'd use. And where is this coming from?" Morrigan asked.

Morrigan had to admit, she had an ever-growing obsession with the Belmont. He was a hunky dreamboat that she wanted to be all over, but there was something special about Richter's disdain for her that Morrigan couldn't resist. She knew he hated her, but she was aroused by his hate. It was rather masochistic of her to feel this way, considering she was a natural sadist. She wanted to see him stripped of all his virtues and lost in his vices.

To see him fall from grace and surrender at the mercy of his own sins...

_"That would be a real treat to see~"_

But Corrin clenched her hand over Yato's handle in response to Morrigan's answer. There was only one word to describe Corrin's emotions right now: Envy. Corrin didn't want to admit it, but she was envious of Richter. She didn't want Morrigan to favor him over her. She was even more concerned now considering Ryu's extensive history with Morrigan. No, Corrin wouldn’t let them take Morrigan away from her. _She would kill them first before that happens._

"... I want you to myself," Corrin answered, "I know I'm being selfish, but I don't care anymore."

"It's alright to be selfish every once in a while, but I can't just simply give myself to just one person," Morrigan noticed Corrin had puffed her cheeks and looked away in response. Morrigan sighed but smiled and ruffled Corrin's hair, "Whatever am I going to do with you?"

"Also," Corrin continued, "While you were in the air, I saw a fresh spring nearby here—"

"You did?" Morrigan clasped Corrin's hands with a shine in her eyes, "Say no more. Lead the way!"

Morrigan couldn't contain her excitement. She was as giddy as a schoolgirl once she heard that. It may be minuscule, but Morrigan valued self-care as did all succubi. Their beauty was eternal, but it never hurts to pamper yourself every now and again and after everything that's happened so far, there seemed to be no better time than now. Her sudden demure made Corrin blush a bit. She too wanted to take a dip, but she was glad to hear Morrigan wanting to do the same.

Corrin smiled, "Okay! This way!"

Corrin led the way. After pushing away branch after branch, the two ladies finally made it. It was a small spring, nothing special about it, but throughout their exploration within the woods, every single creek flowed red that had that heavy scent of iron, so seeing a fresh and clear cascade of water was truly a sight to behold.

“I never expected to see a fresh spring in a place like this,” Morrigan said. She then dipped two fingers into the water, "Still warm..."

"I guess some areas remained untouched during the shift of worlds," Corrin continued, also dipping a hand into the water, "The spring water reminds me of..."

_"Ah... Why can't I remember..."_

"Well then!" With a snap of her fingers, Morrigan's clothes disappeared and turned into a swarm of bats that flew off into the darkness. She was now completely bare, her naked body on full display.

Her hourglass form, her slender legs, her large breasts...

“O-Oh…” Corrin moaned quietly.

Corrin cupped her moist cheeks, her face flushed a shade of pink. She didn’t realize that she was drooling at the sight of seeing Morrigan naked. Without realizing it, Corrin started to slide a finger between her legs, rubbing her womanhood slowly. Her underwear was in the way, but they were getting soaked as she started to drip between her legs, panting and moaning, for her mistress. She couldn’t stop nor could she help herself any longer. Corrin longed to be with Morrigan, wanting Morrigan to have her tonight.

Morrigan looked back at the dragon princess and smiled as she looked on in awe. She could see it in Corrin's eyes: pure lust, "Oh, look at you. Looks like you can't help yourself anymore..."

Corrin wasn't paying attention. She was so focused on pleasuring herself to care about anything else; however, she kept looking at Morrigan with her tongue out, moaning and groaning. Morrigan giggled as she disappeared, catching Corrin off guard for a moment. Frantic, Corrin looked around for Morrigan with a look of worry and desperation.

“Ah…!”

Corrin then felt two soft hands caressing her breasts and something fleshy from behind. Looking behind her, it was her beloved Morrigan, licking her lips. Just one look at her face sent Corrin over the edge. She quickly turned around and passionately kissed Morrigan, letting the succubus explore the crevices of her mouth with her tongue. While kissing, Morrigan slowly stripped Corrin of all her clothes, eventually leaving her in a black bra and panties. Instinctively, Corrin covered herself in embarrassment.

“M-Mistress…” Corrin moaned, her face flushed red.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be ever so gentle,” Morrigan replied, kissing her again.

The succubus slowly slipped off Corrin’s underwear and slipped two fingers between her legs. Corrin moaned but she was silenced by Morrigan’s wet kiss. Morrigan then wrapped her wings around her, pulling Corrin close. Morrigan had already noticed Corrin and her lustful needs. Of course, she just had to reward Corrin for her loyalty. She lifted Corrin above the ground. Corrin, in turn, held Morrigan tightly with her arms wrapped around her waist to support herself, her head planted against Morrigan's soft breasts.

"There's no rush," Morrigan whispered, "Let's enjoy ourselves tonight..."

Corrin simply nodded obediently.

There they were, submerged up to their upper chests in the water. Morrigan was behind Corrin with one hand firmly placed on Corrin's chest, fondling her while the other was underwater, rubbing against her delicate flower before she gently inserted it. She started thrusting slowly, gyrating her fingers against Corrin's wet walls and she planted kisses all over her neck, causing the dragoness to sigh in pleasure and delight.

Morrigan licked her lips. The urge to devour Corrin whole was there, but just a taste will suffice for now...

* * *

Time must have moved slowly because Richter and Ryu have been searching for the girls for what felt like hours.

"They shouldn't have gotten that far," Ryu said, "You said they were just scouting. Right, Richter? I don't think Morrigan would leave just like that. I can't see her doing that."

"I'm having a hard time believing you, Ryu," Richter replied.

Ryu shook his head, "I know you Belmonts have a clear stigma against people like her, but you have to trust me on this." 

Richter just kept moving with Ryu in tow, but Ryu's statement didn't sit well with him, "How you could just trust someone like her I will never know..."

”And what’s so wrong with that?” Morrigan mused from behind.

Both Richter and Ryu turned around to be greeted by Morrigan holding hands with an unusually happy Corrin who was blushing like a bride.

”And where have you been?” Richter asked with his hands on his hips.

”Scouting,” Morrigan replied happily.

”Sure you were,” Richter wasn’t buying it.

”We really were,” Morrigan insisted, then she turned her attention to Corrin, “Corrin and I just took some time to rest and get to know each other better.”

Corrin felt Morrigan’s grip tightened around her hand, causing her face to turn red. She covered her mouth and looked away, not wanting Richter to notice, but it was too late.

“It’s true,” Corrin vouched quickly, “You have to believe us!”

”I’ll believe you when you're not under her spell, Corrin,” Richter replied.

“Tch!” Corrin growled, gripping Yato.

Morrigan licked her lips, "Such a feisty one, she is..."

"Morrigan, stop this," Ryu interjected, "Now's not the time for this."

It didn't take long for Morrigan to turn her attention to Ryu, "Ah, Ryu... It's been so long, but trying to kill us isn't the best way to catch up you know. Care to do me the honor?"

"No, I _—_ "

Too late. She wrapped her arms around Ryu, smothering him with her breasts. Ryu struggled to get her off, but then again he remembered how strong she was. To Morrigan, boundaries don't exist. Everything was free game. Finally, Ryu was able to pull away from the succubus's grip and he was breathing heavily for air. Morrigan giggled and Ryu, though embarrassed, eventually smirked. It’s been a while since he’s seen Morrigan on friendlier terms, but he wished that he’d meet her in a less... compromising situation.

“You really haven’t changed, Morrigan,” Ryu said, “I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, though.”

“Admit it, Ryu. You’re always happy to see me,” Morrigan replied.

Ryu wouldn’t say it, but Morrigan was right. No matter the situation, he always did like sparing with her as she was a worthy opponent who was formidable in her own right. She was one of the few people who could cause a stir in his soul, a burning sensation of ferocity he craved when fighting stronger opponents. Morrigan also shared the same sentiment. He’s one of the main reasons why she grew a fondness for humanity. She was naturally drawn to his power and his quest to get stronger was a respectable one. Every time they met, it seemed that Ryu kept getting stronger and stronger. It was like rekindling an old flame again.

But the happy little reunion was interrupted when Corrin shook Morrigan's hand. Richter also looked less than amused.

"This will have to wait," Morrigan said to Ryu. Then she turned her attention to Richter, "By the way, there's a nearby town with lights just up ahead. It's not far from here."

"Are you sure about that?' Richter asked.

"Yes, Belmont. Why would I ever lie to you?" She asked sweetly.

"You tell me, Succubus," He replied coldly.

“See, Ryu," Morrigan moved behind Ryu and pouted, "See how hostile he is to me? I only want to be friends and here he is, treating me like I’m the enemy.”

“After everything that’s happened, you expect me to trust you now?” Richter pointed back, "As far as I'm concerned, you _are_ the enemy!"

"Then come. Slay me with your whip, if you can~," Morrigan teased.

Richter straightened his whip, "I was hoping you'd say that!"

"Enough," Ryu rolled his eyes, “Our worlds are being threatened, and you both are acting like children at a time like this. I’m surprised you've been able to get this far if this is how you’ve been acting...“

Ryu stood between the two, with Richter on his right and Morrigan alongside Corrin on his left. He couldn’t believe that he was relegated to be a literal wall between Richter and Morrigan, but it really wouldn't do much to stop them from clashing. He knew this all too well. Richter was a vampire hunter and Morrigan was a succubus. Naturally, these two are to be enemies, but for the sake of all of their worlds, an unlikely alliance is needed.

"Well, we do share a common enemy or _enemies,_ I should say," Morrigan continued, "I still don't think Count Dracula is working alone."

"Alright, then humor me, Succubus. Who else could be involved?" Richter asked.

"Demitri is one example. As arrogant as he is, I wouldn't put it past him to join forces with Dracula. Vampires often stick together, especially when they're backed into a corner," Morrigan answered.

"Demitri... Huh, that's a name I haven't heard in a while," Ryu replied quietly.

"So, you think that there are two vampires involved," Richter asked.

Morrigan started pacing around, "Maybe. But, we won't know unless we find out, so let's not keep our hosts waiting."

"Wait for me!" Corrin called.

Morrigan flew ahead of the others with Corrin trailing from behind, but she was still lost in thought. For once, she actually looked like she was taking this seriously, something that Richter didn't expect from her. He especially noticed how her demeanor changed when she talked about Demitri. She was pretty quick to speak ill about him. They must've not had the best history together. Odd, considering that he'd assume that succubi were fiercely loyal to their vampire masters.

_"If there's another vampire who's just as powerful as Dracula, then we better be extra cautious..."_

Then he looked back at Morrigan, who was still in her thinker pose. She still seemed troubled, he could tell.

"Succubus," Richter asked, "There's something else bothering you, is there?"

"Hm? Worried about me, Belmont?" She asked in a sultry tone.

"O-Of course not!" He replied quickly.

She sighed and shrugged, "Then I don't see why you'd ask a question like that."

Richter noticed that Corrin quickly gave him a cold look, before turning her attention to Morrigan again. Richter grumbled under his breath. This was going to be one long adventure...

"That's just who she is, Richter," Ryu said, "Don't let it get to you."

Richter sighed, then nodded in response, "Alright. Let's go. And you better be right about her, Ryu."

"I know, I know," Ryu followed suit. Once again, Ryu ended up with others from different worlds with a common goal to save their worlds from impending destruction. Nothing new, nothing old. Just another Tuesday, like Dante would say, but he was always glad to be in the presence of familiar faces: Richter as determined as ever, Morrigan being Morrigan, and Corrin... Well, just seeing her alive and well was enough for Ryu. Unfortunately, Ryu knew that he'd have to play the diplomat in this alliance. Morrigan's bound to provoke Richter at some point, so he was here to quell the tension if it gets to that point. He sighed in a tiresome tone.

But, then there was the Satsui no Hado and how he lost control again. He couldn't stop thinking about how he almost could've killed Richter and Morrigan. Even now, he could faintly remember strangling the life out of Richter before Morrigan intervened...

And what about Ken?

_Did... Did he...?_

No, he refused to believe that outcome. Ken still had to be alive. He's just as lost and confused elsewhere, also trying to figure out what's going on.

What could've triggered him to do revert to his evil self he didn't know, but Ryu hoped that he'll never walk down that dark path again and he'll make an effort to suppress that blood-lusting wild side. He had to, for the sake of his friends.

_"Never again. I won't let it happen again."_

"Hey, I see some lights!" Corrin exclaimed happily.

The castle town was just up ahead. The streetlights were glowing brightly and the sounds of bustling townsfolk could be heard in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, boiz!
> 
> Finally! I got around to finishing this chapter. Sorry for the long and sudden hiatus, but due to obligations in the real world, I wasn't able to get around to writing this. I haven't abandoned the story. In fact, I've written a whole bunch of drafts, but I'm just sitting on them and re-editing them like crazy like the unsatisfied writer that I am. Regardless, I'm happy that I was able to get this out.
> 
> If you've read this far, then I hope you're enjoying the story thus far! I'll do my best to keep 'em commin'!


End file.
